Cruise the Saint Lawrence has reported a solid uptick in cruise operations at home, according to a press release.

The group revealed that the upcoming international cruise season looks especially promising and shows proof that the cruise industry in the region is returning to pre-pandemic levels.

René Trépanier, executive director of Cruise the Saint Lawrence (CSL), said: “Last year, we set our vision on a return to 2019 levels of performance by 2025. We are now confident that we will achieve this goal earlier than initially anticipated.’’

The nine Saint Lawrence ports (Montréal, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Saguenay, Baie-Comeau, Sept-Îles, Havre Saint-Pierre, Gaspé and Îles de la Madeleine) are expected to welcome over 300 stopovers and 43 different cruise ships in what will be the longest in CSL history. 

The cruise season will last from April 23, when the Viking Octantis arrives, until November 5, when the Silver Shadow departs from the Port of Québec.

Last year, the ports welcomed about 266,601 passengers compared to over 460,000 passengers expected in 2023.