The Port of Montreal welcomed Holland America Line’s Zaandam on its first visit for the 2023 cruise season on May 1st, kicking off the port’s cruise season.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Holland America Line, a plaque was presented to the ship’s captain, Ane Smit. The season will run until October 30th, and the number of international passengers is expected to exceed 45,000, which is up nearly 20% from last year.

The cruise season is expected to generate $25 million in economic impact, with 51 visits, five more than last year.

There will be 38 turnarounds and 13 stopovers, according to the port.

Several of the scheduled ships are equipped to use the shore power supply facilities that have been available at the Port of Montreal’s Grand Quay since 2017.

The technology allows berthed cruise ships and wintering vessels to turn off their engines, resulting in an average reduction of five tons of GHG emissions with each connection, the port said in a press release.

Eight different ships from the Holland-America, Regent Seven Seas, Hapag-Lloyd, and Viking cruise lines, on 19 visits this season, will be able to plug in and power up this way.

“The cruise sector is proving its attractiveness and dynamism in Montreal. Not only is the number of passengers up from last year, gradually returning to a level of traffic comparable to our pre-pandemic levels, but more and more of the cruise ships that stop at the Port are using our shore power supply system,” said Martin Imbleau, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA).

Tourisme Montréal’s President and CEO, Yves Lalumière, expressed excitement about the arrival of thousands of cruise passengers, who will add to the lively atmosphere of the Old Port as they enjoy its many cultural activities. Lalumière highlighted the on-dock shore power at the cruise terminal, which aligns with the values of the sustainable destination that Montreal is becoming.

The 2023 season will see five ships call at the Port of Montreal for the first time, including Hapag-Lloyd’s Hanseatic Inspiration (230 passengers), Oceania’s Vista (1,200 passengers), Peace Boat’s Pacific World (1,950 passengers), and Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Neptune and Viking Mars (930 passengers each).

The World, a 165-residence ship that last visited Montreal in 2015, will be in Montreal from September 25th to 27th, 2023.