Montréal to welcome more than 113,000 cruise passengers and crew members this year

MONTRÉAL, May 16, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - In 2019, 24 cruise ships representing 17 different companies will make 76 stops in the Port of Montréal. In total, they will bring more than 113,000 passengers and crew members to the city. Four new ships are expected this year: the Zaandam (Holland-America Line), the Riviera (Oceania Cruises), the Viking Sun (Viking Ocean Cruises) and the Ocean Dream (Maritime Holding Group). Another highlight of this year's cruise season will be when the 500,000th Holland-America passenger arrives to the Port of Montréal's Grand Quay, marking a major milestone in the relationship between the cruise line, which is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, and Montréal.

Montréal's cruise market has grown steadily in the past five years, benefiting from the international calibre facilities that opened at the Port of Montréal's Grand Quay in 2017. The city is increasingly positioning itself as a cruise embarkation/disembarkation point.

"Montréal is a must-see destination on the Saint Lawrence River. We know that cruise passengers always enjoy the exciting atmosphere and attractions in our city. I'd like to thank all our partners for their hard work in helping grow this market, which contributes substantially to Montréal's economy. We welcomed 40,000 passengers in 2010, and now that number is more than 110,000! Thanks to this tremendous progress, we've successfully connected with the luxury market. Congratulations to the entire team!" said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

"Montréal's remarkable success in the cruise tourism segment is the result of a sustained joint effort. The 2019 season looks very promising with the four new ships scheduled to arrive in the city, not to mention the growing interest in cruises on the Great Lakes. This year, we will also complete Terminal 2 at the Port of Montréal's Grand Quay, which is a truly unique urban space that's now open to the general public," said Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montréal Port Authority.

The 2019 cruise arrivals and departures schedule is available at: cruises/schedules.

About Montréal Cruises
Montréal Cruises works closely with the Montréal Port Authority and Tourisme Montréal, in addition to five other associations and organizations: Aéroports de Montréal, the Old Port of Montréal Corporation, the Old Montréal Business Development Corporation, the Hotel Association of Greater Montréal and the City of Montréal. For more information about cruises in Montréal, go to: http://cruises.alamontreal.com/.

About the Port of Montréal
Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada's two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity supports 19,000 jobs and generates $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually.

About Tourisme Montréal
Tourisme Montréal is a private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal as an international-calibre leisure and business travel destination. The organization leads innovative tourist welcome strategies with a twofold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a quality experience and maximizing the economic benefits of tourism. Uniting more than 900 tourism professionals, Tourisme Montréal plays a leading role in the management and development of Montréal's tourism business, and makes recommendations on issues surrounding the city's economic, urban and cultural development. This year, Tourisme Montréal is celebrating its 100th anniversary. For more information, go to www.mtl.org.

SOURCE Tourisme Montréal

Tourisme Montréal: Andrée-Anne Pelletier, Manager - Corporate Public Relations, 514-844-3344, cell: 514-248-7844, [email protected]; Montréal Port Authority: Mélanie Nadeau, Director of Communications, 514-283-1385, [email protected]