Cruise: Halifax
Halifax Cruise Outlook: Larger Vessels, More Passengers in 2016
The 2016 cruise season at the Port of Halifax is scheduled to begin April 30 with the arrival of Holland America’s Veendam.
"This is a wonderful way to start our 2016 cruise season in Halifax," said Cathy McGrail, PPM®, the port authority’s director of cruise and corporate communications. "Holland America has been a tremendous partner over the years, and the Veendam is one of the vessels calling Halifax that is equipped to take on shore power. Starting off the season in this way is a good representation of the partnerships and innovations that have helped develop a strong cruise offering in Halifax."
The port is expecting 135 vessels approximately 240,000 cruise guests plus crew this season, compared to 222,309 passengers and 141 vessel calls in 2015. Among the first time callers will the largest passenger capacity vessels ever to visit Halifax – the 4,500-passenger Norwegian Breakaway on June 29 and the 4,905-passenger Anthem of the Seas on September 1.
Other anticipated 2016 highlights:
- Eight inaugural calls
- More than 30 ship-to-shore power connections
- Two visits by Queen Mary 2, the first on July 3
- Three visits by Disney Magic beginning September 26
- September 15 is expected to be the busiest passenger day with over 9,000 passengers plus crew.
- October 7 is the only scheduled five-ship day.
A recent economic impact report released by the Halifax Port Authority found that the Halifax cruise industry pumps an estimated C$104.3 million in the local economy. This includes passenger spending on tourism-related activities as well as provisioning associated with cruise vessels.
A complete vessel posting can be found at the Cruise Halifax website.