For the third consecutive year, the Port of Québec broke its own record by welcoming 180,836 passengers, compared to 162,000 passengers in 2013.

This was the longest international cruise season for the port, which started on May 10th and concluded on November 12th with the Hamburg.

The Port of Québec continued to be a premier destination for the Canada-New England market as it welcomed 26 different ships and 109 stopovers. The 180,000 or so visitors who set foot on the wharves of Québec included over 45,000 crew members and 135,000 cruise passengers.

“It has really been a strong year for the Port of Québec. Remaining the busiest port for international cruises on the St. Lawrence, Québec is also, now more than ever, a unique and popular destination among cruise passengers. This generates economic benefits for Québec and the region. The contribution from port stakeholders was exceptional this year and we sincerely thank them.” said Mario Girard, President and CEO, Québec Port Authority.

This year, 25 ships chose Québec as a destination, embarking and disembarking more than 62,000 cruise ship passengers, compared to 51,000 in 2013. This represents $329 per destination passenger and $111 per stopover passenger for the Capitale-Nationale region.

“The Québec City Tourisms is proud that Québec was chosen by so many passengers to be their destination. Their presence joined by marketing efforts made particularly in the north-eastern of the United States, as well as quality of the touristic information services provided directly upon arrival of cruise lines, have allowed to affirm regional offer” said Mr. Pierre Tremblay, President of the Québec City Tourism’s board of directors.

Québec welcomed its one millionth passenger since the construction of the Ross Gaudreault Cruise Terminal in 2002. The passenger arrived on October 10th aboard the Seabourn Quest, a ship belonging to Holland America Line.

On October 24th, the port celebrated the Queen Mary 2’s tenth anniversary. This anniversary also marked the tenth birthday of its first visit to the Port of Québec back in 2004.

The Port of Québec continued to be a preferred destination for cruise ship lines as it welcomed six new ships: the Pearl Mist, the Seabourn Quest, the Hamburg, the Crystal Serenity, the Ruby Princess and the Legend of the Seas. It continues to be Holland America Line’s most popular destination.

During the weekend of October 3rd, the port reached full capacity for the very first time in its history by having six ships docked at the same time with more than 20,000 passengers and crew members.

A qualified and trained workforce from various sectors was required to meet that day’s challenge and to offer cruise ship passengers a welcome that is at par with the world’s premier destinations. Five hundred workers have contributed to the success of this day, including 90 security guards, 60 dock workers, 20 lines men, 25 customer service agents, 18 tourist information agents, 28 parking attendants, 100 guides and many more.