Charlottetown poised for record-breaking cruise ship season in 2024

Charlottetown's 2024 cruise ship season is set to break records before it has even begun. 

P.E.I.'s capital is scheduled to welcome 96 ships this season, with the potential for 165,000 passengers. A record 87 vessels visited the harbour last season.

This year's passenger count would represent a 37 per cent increase from the roughly 120,000 visitors who arrived in port in 2023. 

The first cruise ship of the season, the MSC Poesia, is scheduled to arrive April 8, about two and a half weeks earlier than the first port call in 2023. 

"It's pretty staggering when you think about [the numbers]," said Mike Cochrane, CEO of the Charlottetown Harbour Authority. 

"We're increasing our ship calls and we're increasing passenger capacity, which means bigger ships are coming into our region."   

While the fall months are traditionally busy for Charlottetown's port, Cochrane said it's "fantastic" to see an increase of ships booked for the spring and summer. 

The busiest day of the season is expected to be Oct. 1. Four cruise ships carrying up to 6,000 passengers are scheduled to arrive on the same day. 

Big ships, big money

The big ships mean big money for Charlottetown and the province in general. Cochrane said the direct economic impact of cruise visits last year was around $21.5 million. 

For the harbour authority and tourism groups and operators, it's a welcome sign that the cruise business is flourishing again after two years of a pandemic shutdown. 

"The appetite … in our region, and especially Charlottetown, is proof of demand," he said. "We have beautiful landscapes and the people, and you combine that with a very engaged tourism industry and I think you have a recipe for success."

Cochrane calls cruise visits "managed tourism," meaning Island operators can plan ahead to provide cruise passengers with experiences in an efficient way. 

"You know when they come, you know how many are coming, you know exactly what their requirements are and you know exactly when they're leaving," he said. "I think that's really the crux of how P.E.I. has grown as a destination."