On Tuesday, May 30, Port Saint John will welcome Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and it will become the largest ship ever to call in the port.

The ship will carry about 8,000 people (5,931 passengers and 2,130 crew) almost doubling the population of the south end peninsula for a day. It brings an additional thousand visitors from its inaugural visit in 2022, making it a record-breaking milestone for Port Saint John.

“Port Saint John is proud to welcome back Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. Local businesses and residents can expect thousands of new people strolling the historic streets of Saint John and experiencing everything the city has to offer until the ship’s departure at 6:45pm,” said Natalie Allaby, Cruise Development Manager, Port Saint John. “The growth of our cruise ship industry is a testament of what we offer as a region and as a province.”

The cruise business brings over $68 million annually to the Saint John and southern New Brunswick economies, according to a press release.

This economic impact includes direct spending by cruise lines, passengers, and crew in the Bay of Fundy region and direct jobs for New Brunswickers.

This year, marks 34 years of welcoming cruise ships for the Port. With 86 vessels carrying almost 200,000 passengers total, are scheduled visit throughout the six-month cruise season, spanning from May 7 to November 7, 2023. Other season highlights include: 14 double ship days, 5 triple ships days, 10 inaugural calls.