Tag - corner brook

17 Mar

Port of Corner Brook expecting record cruise season

The Port of Corner Brook has record bookings for the 2023 cruise season, following a celebratory post-pandemic return to cruise in 2022. 

The 2022 cruise season results exceeded expectations following a two-year pause due to COVID-19 restrictions. The season concluded with 23 cruise ship calls carrying almost 26,000 passengers, up 3.25% from 2019. “Expecting ship capacities would be down, we didn’t anticipate reaching 2019 numbers in the first year of cruise resumption, but I’m happy to report that we surpassed these results,” says Jennifer Hartley, Business Development Manager. The cruise industry provides significant economic value to the region and is essential to the tourism sector. Contributing to the overall success for 2022 was the increase of cruise ship occupancy rate throughout the year as COVID-19 restrictions eased, and consumer confidence in the industry returned. The total ‘spend’ from cruise lines and the 40,879 cruise guests and crew combined with indirect expenditures resulted in a estimated total economic impact for the region of $8.6 million for the 2022 season. 

The focus for the 2022 season was to ensure the safe resumption of the local cruise sector for passengers, crew, port staff and, of course, the community. Creating a positive experience for all stakeholders was a crucial component in helping to make this season a success. During the pandemic, the Port of Corner Brook launched a weekly international container service which would affect the berthing schedule and the cruise welcome program. Throughout last season, the Port added many new upgrades including a 100 ft tender dock and gangway that is positioned along the south part of the wharf to allow vessels to tender guests to shore when the berth is unavailable. Tendering is a standard service in the cruise industry and enables the Port of Corner Brook to be more flexible with berth reservations. We saw three cruise ships take advantage of this service and currently have four cruise ships booked at anchor for next season. 

Photo Credit: Scott Grant, Ronin Photography

The Regent Seven Seas Navigator will return in May 2023, officially kicking off the Port of Corner Brook cruise season in their first of five calls. The largest ship to call the Port is the Norwegian Joy, which is 333 metres long, carries 3,800 passengers along with 1800 crew and will make three calls this season. Marking the end of the cruise season will be the Oceania Cruises’ Insignia on November 3. 

“We are pleased to release the 2023 cruise schedule, which features 32 cruise ship calls, six maiden voyages and four double ship days. As we prepare for another busy season, we hope to further transform the passenger experience through additional infrastructure enhancements, and we look forward to our future growth in the industry.”       

Jackie Chow, CEO, Corner Brook Port Corporation

The Port of Corner Brook continues to make improvements to ensure the passengers and crew enjoy the shoreside experience. We look forward to working with our cruise partners and stakeholders to ensure another successful year. From the local businesses to the volunteers, our community continues to come together to provide a warm welcome and positive atmosphere for cruise tourists. Once again, we encourage community members to reach out to see how they can get involved.   

2023 Cruise Schedule
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24 May

The Return of the Cruise to the Port of Corner Brook

The Seven Seas Navigator

News Release

Following a two-year halt to the cruise industry that was felt around the globe, the Port of Corner Brook is excited to once again welcome passengers and crew back into our beautiful city.

The first Ship to make its way into port this season is the Seven Seas Navigator, which will make its first of seven trips into the Bay of Islands on May 24th. This ship can hold up to 490 passengers and 325 crew, and despite being smaller in size, the Navigator represents the official return of the cruise to the city of Corner Brook.

The cruise industry has a profound impact on the city of Corner Brook and surrounding area, significantly increasing the economic activity in the region. There are expected to be 24 calls into the Port of Corner Brook, consisting of 6 inaugural visits by different cruise ships.

The largest ship coming into the port is the Sky Princess, which is making its inaugural visit to Corner Brook. This large vessel can accommodate 3,660 passengers and 1,346 crew, and should be a sight to behold once it enters port, due to its sheer size and intriguing design.

The Sky Princess

The Corner Brook waterfront is renowned for its tremendous scenery, and one of the best ways to enjoy the view is experienced while watching cruise ships come into port, especially ones the size of the Sky Princess.

There is a wide variety of ships coming into the Bay of Islands during this cruise season, featuring vessels arriving from 5 different countries (USA, CAN, GER, ENG, ISL), bringing people from all across the globe into the community.

The majority of the calls for this upcoming season are in the months of September and October, allowing operators within the tourist industry to extend their season, something that was greatly missed over the last two years. The direct impact that the passengers and the crew of the ship make on the local economy is significant, whether by purchasing tours, utilizing local transportation services, or even increasing activity in local shops/restaurants, all were missed greatly due to the cancellations over the past two years due to Covid-19.

The cruise lines themselves also have a huge impact on the operations and economy at the Port of Corner Brook. These ships have to routinely pay for cruise services, supplies and port fees, which results in a huge boost for the city of Corner Brook and the CBPC.

With everyday life creeping back to normalcy after the profound impact of the Covid-19 pandemic it will still be essential to keep passengers, crew and staff safe from the virus. It will be important for us to continue following the guidelines set out by Transport Canada and the Provincial Government to ensure the safety of everybody involved.

The return of cruise lines into the Port of Corner Brook for the 2022 season will create a significant amount of economic activity in the Corner Brook region, new job opportunities, and increasing revenues for several local businesses.

The cruise schedule for the upcoming 2022 season can be found here.

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13 Nov

Port Tariff Notice

Effective January 1, 2021

The Corner Brook Port  Corporation (CBPC) wishes to advise that there will be a 3% increase in Port Tariff Rates effective January 1, 2021.

This increase will apply to harbour administration, berthage, wharfage and storage. Interest will be applied to all overdue accounts as per section 10 of the Terminal Tariff document.

The complete Terminal Tariff report detailing the rates, charges, rules and regulations at terminals and facilities in the Port of Corner Brook is available on the Corporation’s website under Industrial Operations.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the increase please contact Dean Jennings, Operations Manager at 709-637-4282.

Best regards,

Jackie Chow, CPA, CA

Chief Executive Officer

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27 Oct

MSC to call Port of Corner Brook weekly

October 28, 2020 – The Corner Brook Port Corporation is pleased to advise that MSC is increasing its container service in the region with a weekly call to the Port of Corner Brook. Today’s arrival of the MSC Elbe marks the start of the increased frequency of vessels.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company added the Port of Corner Brook to its Canada Gulf Bridge Service in May 2020 on a bi-weekly schedule. Recognizing the strong regional economic impact, the Port of Corner Brook continues to work diligently to grow and develop the container business with increased focus on expanding import cargo. To date, more than 2,800 containers of product from the province have been exported from the Port of Corner Brook. Feedback from users indicate significant transportation cost savings with improved access to worldwide markets.

“The service is transitioning to a weekly call months earlier than our original projection at the start of the project. MSC’s weekly call to Corner Brook is a significant project milestone that we are happy to share with our project partners.  We look forward to the service continuing to grow and having a positive impact on the region.” Jackie Chow, CEO Corner Brook Port Corporation.

MSC is the only international ocean carrier providing access to and from Asian and South American markets directly linked to Newfoundland. The service will now include weekly sailing from Montreal, Saint John, and Corner Brook with unmatched vessel capacity.

For more information please contact Jennifer Hartley, Business Development Manager by email jhartley@cornerbrookport.com.

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