Canadian Port of Halifax expects the 2017 cruise season to be the busiest to date, with 179 vessel calls carrying around 275,000 passengers.
A record number of passenger visits and ship calls will get underway on April 24, 2017, with the arrival of the Amadea, a Phoenix Reisen vessel, according to the port.
“We are very excited about the year ahead,” Cathy McGrail, Interim Vice President, Operations, Halifax Port Authority, said.
Highlights of the 2017 cruise season in Halifax include six inaugural calls and over 30 potential shore power connections.
The port expects four visits from cruise ship Queen Mary 2, with the first call scheduled for June 13. Additionally, there will be a visit from Disney Magic on October 26.
October 3 is expected to be the busiest passenger day with over 11,000 guests and crew anticipated. The port also revealed that September 14 is the only scheduled five-ship day.
The 2017 cruise season in Halifax will run from April 24 to October 31.
In the 2016 cruise season, the Port of Halifax welcomed a total of 136 cruise vessels and 238 thousand passengers.
The port said that 2016 saw an increase of just over 7 percent in overall passenger counts, when compared to 2015 when Halifax welcomed 222 thousand guests.