With the busy New England and Canada cruise season just a few months away, Quebec City has opened a new cruise terminal to welcome the thousands of cruise visitors that are expected.
Quebec, which often acts as a homeport for many ships and is a very popular port of call, is a UNESCO World Heritage City and one of North America’s most popular cruise ports. The new cruise terminal will be able to handle more guests more efficiently while acting as the gateway to the historic city.
New Cruise Terminal For Quebec City
Quebec City has seen a considerable growth of cruise ship visitors in the last twenty years, mainly due to the increase in popularity of the New England and Canada cruises in the fall. With that growth came the need for improved facilities to welcome all these visitors.
The Port of Québec now has a modern terminal, Terminal 30, reflecting the city’s beauty. Built in cooperation with the cruise industry, the port authorities hope to be able to solidify the position that Quebec has managed to acquire in the industry.
Mario Girard, President and CEO of the Québec Port Authority: “Terminal 30 is the result of the hard work and vision of numerous players who have combined their efforts over the past 20 years to ensure that the Port of Québec is worthy of a UNESCO World Heritage City. In addition to serving large cruise ships, this multipurpose terminal will be available throughout the year for a wide array of events,”
Cruising Offers Huge Financial Benefits For Quebec
Québec City is the most popular international cruise destination on the St. Lawrence River and receives tens of thousands of visitors every season.
Over the years, the cruise industry has generated exceptional exposure for Québec City and significant economic benefits for the region. With the new world-class terminal facilities, all types of ships will be accommodated, from the largest cruise ships to smaller luxury vessels.
“The City is thrilled to inaugurate Terminal 30 at the Port of Québec today. The new port facility is good news for future cruise passengers, as well as for local residents and business owners. I know the new terminal will generate significant economic benefits and drive growth here in Québec City and throughout the region,” added David Weiser of Québec City’s executive committee.
The new terminal cost a total of $31.9 million to build, divided between the Government of Québec ($15 million), the City of Québec ($5 million), and the Port of Québec ($11.9 million). Terminal 30 can accommodate more than 2,500 passengers at once and has a surface area of 9,447 m2.
First Ships To Arrive By August 4
The first cruise ship to be making a call to the new terminal will be Caribbean Princess, arriving on August 4, 2022. While August remains relatively quiet, with only six cruise ship calls by Seabourn Quest, Zaandam, Amadea, and Caribbean Princess, the new cruise terminal 30 will be much busier from September onwards.
In September, the Port of Quebec expects to welcome no less than 38 calls by a wide variety of cruise ships. These include Celebrity Summit, Norwegian Pearl, Viking Star, the Nieuw Statendam, Queen Mary 2, and many more.
October will be a little quieter with 30 calls scheduled, while in November, there are no calls scheduled except for November 1.
Nieuw Statendam, Norwegian Pearl, and Queen Mary 2, amongst others, will be using Quebec City as their embarkation port for cruises along the Canadian Atlantic coast and New England.
