The Veendam first visited Montreal in 1996, and this weekend the port is set to mark the arrival of Holland-America Line’s 500,000th passenger aboard the Zaandam.
The company has performed 196 embarkations and disembarkations in Montréal from 1996 to 2018, for a total of 480,750 passengers, according to a press release. This season, Holland-America Line has 14 calls to the Canadian city.
To mark the occasion, the port is inviting the public to gather on the Grand Quay, where a number of family activities are planned starting at 11 a.m. At the same time, visitors will be able to find information about the international cruises departing from Montréal and Québec City. The Association des Croisières du Saint-Laurent will offer three presentations inside the terminal at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
“Holland-America Line has been coming to Montréal for 23 years. I would like to thank the company for its loyalty and the valuable advice it provided concerning the design of our new cruise terminal. Today, the Grand Quay is one of Montréal’s must-see sites and we are very pleased to be celebrating Holland-America Line’s 500,000th passenger here,” said Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montréal Port Authority.
“On behalf of Montréal’s entire tourism industry, we are truly delighted to welcome Holland-America Line’s ships, whose repeated visits contribute substantially to the local economy. We are also pleased to have international-calibre port facilities to offer a top quality welcome to cruise passengers and crew members,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.
