Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador and its port members are expecting a blockbuster 2017, with around 100 calls from 29 ships and just under 100,000 passengers expected to the group’s 29 ports. This is a major bump up from the previous record of 68,325 passengers in 2012.

More expedition ships are in the cards for 2017.

Other inaugural visits for 2017 include, but are not limited to, Ponant’s Le Soleal, the Silver Muse and the Viking Sky and Sea, in addition to the Mein Schiff 6 and Vision of the Seas.

Among the highlights is Red Bay at Gros Morne National Park, and this past summer, guests aboard the Silver Explorer had a unique experience learning about the Basques who occupied the region 50 years after Columbus made his voyage to the so-called new world.

Cruise lines can turn the dial back further at L’Anse aux Meadows and the nearby port of St. Anthony, where excursions show off the early days of Leif Erickson and the Vikings’ assault on North America.

There is also Port Aux Basques, which features a railway heritage museum that captures history, trails and excursions in the area, and promotes Newfoundland culture, according to a local representative.

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Get an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the North America cruise market and the ports that make it happen in the 2016-2017 Winter edition Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine. Subscribe today.