MONTREAL - The Port of Montreal welcomed 114,517 passengers and crew members during the 2017 cruise season, up 33% compared to 2016. In all, some 21 ships representing 16 international cruise lines moored 52 times at the newly renovated T1 Terminal located at the Alexandra Pier in Old Montreal and at Terminal T3 located east of Jacques-Cartier Bridge. This season also saw 16 domestic cruises operating between Montreal and the Magdalen Islands.
Three new luxury international cruise liners visited Montreal for the first time this season, namely the MS Viking Sky and MS Viking Sea from Viking Cruises, and the MS Silver Muse from Silversea Cruises. The season opened on May 6 with the arrival of the MS Veendam from Holland-America and closed on October 27 with the departure of the MS Seven Seas Mariner from Regent Seven SeasCruises.
The Montreal Cruise Committee is delighted with the outstanding results posted in 2017. Since its creation in 2011, the committee has seen the numbers of passengers and crew members visiting Montreal increase by more than 140%.
"I would like to congratulate and extend my sincere thanks to the Montreal Cruise Committee's partners and teams on the ground for receiving a record number of cruise passengers and crew members in 2017," said Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority. "Since June 10, we have been proudly welcoming ships to our revamped cruise terminal in the Port of Montreal. It features modern and effective infrastructure for use by visitors and cruise lines, in addition to an international-calibre maritime architectural signature. This season also underscored the importance of maintaining our facilities east of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge to ensure our mooring capacity during the high season."
According to Yves Lalumiere, President and CEO of Tourisme Montreal, 2017 was a springboard year, elevating Montreal among the top urban destinations for international cruise lines. "I am extremely satisfied with the results we achieved. Next season promises to be just as busy with forecasts of approximately 130,000 passengers and crew members."
According to data collected by the Montreal Cruise Committee, clients are primarily American (68%), English (12%), Canadian (7%) and Australian (5%). Nearly 70% of passengers who began or ended a cruise in Montreal prolonged their stay by an average of two nights.
