The Port of Montreal’s cruise season officially starts in early May, but it isn’t until September and October that it really heats up, thanks to fall foliage seekers who are eager to view the palette of autumn colors along the Eastern Canada and New England coasts.

With the arrival of peak season, a slew of cruise ships will operate turnaround calls while others will visit for a day. Montreal is typically either the starting or ending point for Canada/New England cruises, which sail between the Canadian port and New York, Boston, and Baltimore.

Popular port calls include Quebec City; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; and Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine, to name a few.

Among the well-known ships operating from Montreal through October are Viking’s 930-guest Viking Mars; Seabourn’s 458-guest Seabourn Quest; Ponant’s 244-guest Le Lyrial; Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 750-guest Seven Seas Grandeur; and Oceania Cruises’ Nautica and Insignia, both with capacity for 670-guests.

Holland America Line’s Volendam is the largest ship seasonally based at Montreal in 2024, with 1,432 guests. The ship is sailing 7, 10-, and 11-day cruises between Montreal and Boston.

Her current 11-day voyage departing September 10, 2024 from Boston features calls at Portland, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Prince Edward Island; and Quebec City.

A few cruise lines will mark passenger milestones while their ships are operating from Montreal. Regent Seven Seas will welcome its 25,000th passenger when Seven Seas Grandeur visits on September 19; Viking will board its 30,000th guests when Viking Neptune calls on September 27; and Oceania Cruises will see its 40,000th guest when Nautica visits on October 6.

Several ships will make their inaugural visits to Montreal in 2024, including Rivages du Monde’s World Explorer, Le Lyrial, Seven Seas Grandeur, Nautica, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Borealis, and Azamara’s Azamara Journey. 

Read Also: How Many Cruise Ships Are There?

From May to August 2024, the port received 20,000-plus cruise arrivals onboard 13 ships. The season opened on May 4, 2024 with Volendam’s first turnaround voyage.

“Montreal stands out as not only a leading tourist destination but as a modern port of call for cruise ships committed to the future. We’re proud of our top-notch facilities, and we promise to continually improve our offering as we safeguard our environment with notably shore power connections for ships,” said Julie Gascon, president and CEO of the Port of Montreal.

While port officials are pleased with the facility’s busy season, the number of ship calls in 2024 is not on track to break any records. In 2023, the Port of Montreal welcomed 50 ships and more than 50,000 cruise arrivals. That year did break records and reflected a 33% spike in cruise volume versus 2022.

Port a Leader in Environmental Policy

The Port of Montreal in 2023 unveiled an ambitious 5-year investment plan, estimated at $335 million, to upgrade facilities and port infrastructure, and continue its plans to decarbonize. The port already is a leader in shoreside connectivity, which reduces emissions from docked cruise ships.

The port in 2017 completed its first plug-in shoreside power connectivity following the construction of an electrical substation. It was Holland America Line’s Veendam that was the first ship to connect to the power source.

The port recently received its Green Marine certification, a voluntary program that recognizes efforts for responsible environmental policies. Montreal earned a perfect score in the categories of Environmental Leadership, Waste Management, Dry Bulk Handling and Storage, Spill Prevention and Stormwater Management, and Community Relations. Also, it ranked 4 out of 5 in the Air Emissions and Air Pollutant category.

A passenger sailing in Alaska was seen making the mad dash along Sitka’s pier as the cruise ship he thought he was cruising on was seen departing without him on September 9, 2024.

Late for the onboard time, Princess Cruises’ 3,080-passenger Crown Princess had pulled away from the pier and was making her way to her next call in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, as she wraps up an 11-night roundtrip voyage from San Francisco.

Guests aboard another ship also calling in Sitka that day witnessed the man’s sprint, many recording the scene on their phones. One passenger shared the moment in a now-viral video that shows the runner waving frantically as Crown Princess slowly drifts away.

“Oh no, he’s missed his ship!” Jordan Flom can be heard saying as he recorded the desperate attempt.

But just as the crowd, and the man, assumed he was doomed to be left behind, a person walked out to meet him, pointing back to the ship still at port. It appears, the man was actually one of up to 4,004 passengers sailing on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss.

His actual ship was also spending September 9 in Sitka on a roundtrip Alaskan cruise from Seattle with a later departure time. Crown Princess, for the record, is a 113,561-gross-ton ship, and Norwegian Bliss is much bigger at 168,028 gross tons.

Realizing his mistake, the man paused, caught his breath, and laughed along with the crowd that witnessed the show.

He was able to reembark and continue his 7-night cruise, which arrived in Juneau today and will continue to Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm, Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan, Alaska, as well as Victoria, British Columbia.

The video quickly made the rounds on social media, with viewers chiming in about the potential heart-stopping moment of missing a ship. Many weighed in on their own near misses, as well as the aftermath of what happens when one does miss the boat.

The Importance of Being on Time

While the Sitka story had a happy ending, not all cruise passengers are so lucky. When cruise lines give a specific “all aboard” time, they mean it. Failing to return to the ship by the designated time can result in being left behind, which isn’t just stressful but costly.

Cruise ships run on tight schedules, particularly when they have multiple ports of call. Each stop is carefully timed, often with port fees and docking schedules that depend on precise timing.

Passengers who fail to return on time risk missing the ship, and catching up requires booking flights or other forms of transportation to the next port, at their own expense.

Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises, for example, have strict policies regarding missing the “all aboard.” If a guest fails to return by this time, the ship is not obligated to wait, and they risk being left behind.

Read Also: What Happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?

Anyone who misses the ship is responsible for making their own arrangement to rejoin the ship, and the cruise line will not cover additional expenses, such as transportation, lodging, or meals.

If passengers miss multiple days of the cruise, they may forfeit those missed days without any refund or compensation.

It’s also important to remember that cruise ships have their own time zones that may differ from the local port. Passengers should double-check that their watches and phones are synchronized with the ship’s clock, ensuring they return before the gangway is pulled up. 

Excursions booked through the cruise will always be timed to get passengers back with plenty of time to reboard. To be sure you don’t miss the boat, plan independent excursions carefully to give yourself enough time to avoid running your own sprint on the pier.

Tropical Storm Francine is gaining momentum in the Gulf of Mexico and could potentially impact cruise operations out of the Port of Galveston and the Port of New Orleans this week.

The storm, forecasted to become a hurricane by Wednesday, September 11, 2024, is expected to bring dangerous storm surges and hurricane-force winds to the Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines, posing a significant threat to cruise lines operating in the area.

In anticipation of the storm, the Port of Galveston has begun implementing precautionary measures and coordinating with cruise lines to manage potential disruptions.

“Port of Galveston tenants and vessel operators in the area are encouraged to make storm preparations and closely monitor the expected development of Tropical Storm Francine in the Gulf of Mexico today,” said the port in its September 9 update.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard has issued advisories to cruise ship operators. Port officials warn that operations could be suspended in conditions worsen.

Although there are no disruptions to cruise traffic in Galveston Harbor as of now, officials are not accepting any new berth applications. If Francine follows its projected path, Galveston could experience tropical storm force winds of over 40 miles per hour by September 10, with tidal surges reaching four feet above normal levels.

The Port of New Orleans, while also monitoring the storm closely, has not yet reported disruptions and continues to operate normally.

Passengers planning to depart from either port in the coming days are being urged to stay updated on the storm’s progress, as last-minute changes to cruise schedules may be announced depending on the storm’s developments.

Cruise Ships to Keep an Eye on

Currently, Carnival Cruise Line’s 130,000-gross-ton Carnival Breeze, 128,250-gross-ton Carnival Dream, and 183,521-gross-ton Carnival Jubilee are homeporting in Galveston. Carnival Dream is currently in Key West, Florida, heading next to the Bahamas before returning to Texas on September 15.

Meanwhile, Carnival Jubilee, which debuted in December 2023 and can hold 5,374 guests, is at sea on a 7-night Western Caribbean journey. It is expected to call in Roatan, Honduras, on September 10, and will be behind the storm as it travels to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, before returning to Galveston on September 14.

Carnival Breeze, which can accommodate 3,690 passengers, is set to depart today, September 9, heading to Costa Maya, Roatan, and Cozumel during a 6-night Western Caribbean cruise. At this time, the cruise line has not altered its itinerary.

Royal Caribbean International’s 138,863-gross-ton Mariner of the Seas and 226,963-gross-ton Harmony of the Seas are also based in Galveston. Both are currently on western Caribbean voyages in Mexico and not expected back in Galveston until September 12 and 14, respectively. Itineraries for these voyages are also not altered at this time.

Read Also: The 10 Roughest Seas in the World for Cruise Ships

In New Orleans, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Valor and Carnival Liberty, which both weigh 110,000 gross tons, sail from the port. Carnival Valor is currently in Cozumel on a 5-night western Caribbean itinerary that will continue to Progresso, Mexico. It is expected to return to port on September 12.

At sea today, Carnival Liberty will arrive in Roatan on September 11 during its 11-night western Caribbean cruise. It will continue to Belize City, Belize, and Cozumel, before returning to NOLA on September 15.

Tropical Storm Poised to Become a Hurricane

The National Hurricane Center’s latest reports show Tropical Storm Francine intensifying as it tracks westward across the Gulf of Mexico.

Currently building off the coast of Mexico, Francine is expected to make landfall between East Texas and western Louisiana by Wednesday night, September 11, bringing life-threatening storm surges and hurricane-force winds to coastal communities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts that southern Louisiana could experience hurricane-force winds as early as Wednesday, and a Storm Surge Watch is currently in effect for portions of Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines.

Greece is taking decisive steps to manage the overwhelming influx of tourists by introducing a €20 (approximately $22) fee for cruise ship passengers arriving in Santorini and Mykonos.

The announcement comes as the Greek government seeks to address the strain on local infrastructure and environmental resources caused by a surge in visitor numbers.

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the measure in response to concerns about overtourism and its impact on local communities and the environment. The fee, expected to be implemented by 2025, will be reinvested into the island communities to improve infrastructure and sustainability efforts.

“We have been very concerned [about] the image that exists on some of our islands regarding cruising during certain months of the year,” Mitsotakis said during his State of the Economy address in Thessaloniki on September 7, 2024. 

“That is why a cruise fee is imposed per passenger disembarking at a Greek port, high in Santorini and Mykonos, lower in the rest, with escalation per period,” he said.

In addition to the new cruise fee, the government plans to limit the number of cruise ships allowed to dock at the most popular islands, particularly during peak seasons.

Santorini, for example, will cap the number of cruise passengers allowed to visit at 8,000 per day starting in 2025.

Read Also: Majorca Advances Plans to Further Limit Cruise Ship Entries

Other island destinations like Rhodes, Corfu, and Crete’s port of Heraklion will be included in the fee structure and passengers visiting multiple ports can expect to pay a fee per call.

Additionally, a digital berth allocation system will be reintroduced to manage the arrival of cruise ships. The system will spread out ship arrivals throughout the day, avoiding overcrowding at popular times.

The allocation will consider criteria such as ship size, whether the ship operates as a “green” (environmentally friendly) ship, and the length of stay on the island. Ships staying longer will be prioritized to prevent passengers from rushing between tourist spots.

Greece to Introduce New Cruise Tourism Regulations

The islands of Santorini and Mykonos, in particular, have seen an overwhelming number of tourists arriving by cruise ship in recent years. In 2023, 800 ships brought 1.3 million visitors to Santorini alone.

Santorini remains the most popular cruise destination in Greece, with upwards of 17,000 cruise ship visitors arriving on the island of 15,500 residents in a single day during peak summer months.

The cruise industry in Greece is expected to see an increase in arrivals by 20 percent in 2024, bringing more than 8 million passengers to the nation that rests on the Ionian, Mediterranean, and Aegean Seas. 

Santorini Mayor Nikos Zorzos supports the efforts to cap cruise visitors at 8,000 per day, although he recognizes cruise ships have planned itineraries years in advance and that the cap will require changes with cruise lines.

The mayor also suggested introducing a day-tripper fee similar to one trialed in Venice earlier this year.

The Venice Access Fee, implemented from April 24 through July 14, 2024, charged day visitors €5 to access the island of 50,000. The trial brought the city more than €2.4 million in less than 3 months, resulting in the Italian city’s proposal to double the fee in 2025.

As is the case in Venice, earnings from a day-tripper fee would directly benefit local authorities.

In addition to the new fee and cruise limitations, Greece is raising the lodging tax during peak tourist months, from April to October. While specific details about the exact rate have not been disclosed yet, it will apply to hotels, rental accommodations, and short-term rentals.

The prime minister said details about the upcoming fees and limitations will be revealed in the coming months.