Port Charlottetown reported the end of its highly successful 2022 cruise ship season in a strong position for 2023 growth.
Port Charlottetown official s said they are very pleased with the 2022 season and are excited about the prospects for 2023, when they expect record-breaking ship arrivals, according to the port’s press release.
The end of the season was marked by the arrival of the MS Insignia from Oceania Cruises, carrying 698 passengers and a crew of 400.
Michael Cochrane, the CEO of Port Charlottetown, said that 55 out of 74 cruise ships originally scheduled for 2022 arrived, carrying a total of 96,000 guests.
“Like many tourism destinations, 2022 was a bounce back year for us following a couple of really tough years with the pandemic,” said Cochrane. “It was great to get back into the swing of things and those 96,000 guests generated a lot of business for Island restaurateurs, artisans, retailers and tourism operators.”
According to Cochrane, a record-breaking 100 cruise ships are scheduled to arrive in 2023 to the excitement of the Port Charlottetown staff.
“This $12 million expansion was started during the pandemic as a partnership between the federal and provincial governments and Port Charlottetown. The new berth, which began operating this fall, has doubled the port’s docking capacity and will really enhance passenger safety, convenience and comfort going forward.”
Port Charlottetown recently received the 2022 Premier’s Award for Tourism in honor and celebration of tourism operators who have contributed to moving the industry forward and inspiring others to do the same.
“I strongly believe that Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island are a premier cruise destination that Port Charlottetown can showcase,” said Cochrane. “And it’s not just the land and the sea that make us a great destination. We have an abundance of engaging tourism products for our guests and innovative tourism operators who work extremely hard to deliver a great Island experience.”
