“The 12 ships scheduled during the spring and summer represent our highest total of early season calls to date,” said port director Stéphane Sainte-Croix. “We have achieved the goals that were first set when Escale Gaspésie launched in 2009. Foremost among these goals was to see a Gaspé port of call on the majority of cruise itineraries on the St. Lawrence.

“The spring-summer cruise season is gradually being introduced on itineraries,” she continued, “and represents real potential for growth on the St. Lawrence. We have now have calls from May to October.”

In addition to the summer calls, there will be five days with two ships in port. The largest ship to call this year will be the Caribbean Princess.

Among the callers will be eight ships that have not called at the port before: The Saint-Laurent, Black Watch, Ocean Endeavour, Akademik Loffe, Marco Polo, Caribbean Princess, Albatros and Sapphire.

There will also be four cruise lines making their maiden calls: Haimark, Adventure Canada, OneOceanExpeditions and Cruise & Maritime Voyages.

Since 2009, Gaspésie has seen a total of 117 cruise calls and 136,943 visitors.

Escale Gaspésie is a non-profit organization which groups together the towns of Gaspé, Percé and Chandler. Its mission is to develop, promote and operate a port of call for international cruise ships in the St. Lawrence-Atlantic Canada-New England  region at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula.  Escale Gaspésie is part of the Strategy for the Sustainable Development and Promotion of International Cruises on the St. Lawrence (Ministry of Tourism Quebec) and the Development of the Canadian Cruise Industry (Canada Economic Development).