Cruise the Saint Lawrence has concluded its 2023 cruise season reporting a strong recovery, according to a press release.

In 2023, 45 ships spent over 450 days in the nine Saint Lawrence ports, totaling approximately 460,000 passenger days, slightly below the 2019 count of 489,000. Cruise the Saint Lawrence officials don’t anticipate a full return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025, according to a press release.

From April to late June, port visits totaled 61 spread out across the nine Saint Lawrence ports, significantly more compared to 37 visits for the previous year.

During July and August, port visits jumped from 20 in 2022 to 57.

In 2025, Destination Saint Lawrence will introduce Le Commandant Charcot, marking the first time an international cruise ship will sail the waters of Saint Lawrence waters. Powered by liquefied natural gas, the 200-passenger ship will operate four 12-night sailings between late January and early March 2025.  Ports of call will include Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Gaspé, Sept-Îles, Saguenay, Québec and Sydney, Nova Scotia.