Winter cruise ship ready at the Port of Corner Brook

Patti Ricketts is the Cruise Marketing Coordinator at the Port. She says the Port of Corner Brook will remain open for business year-round and they are excited about extending the tourism season beyond the fall.

ACOA and Rural Economic Development Minister Gudie Hutchings says the Corner Brook Port Corporation is ready to welcome its first winter cruise ship visit. Hutchings was speaking on Bayfm with Lenny Benoit when she mentioned the potential. Federal Innovation, Science and Industry Minister Francois-Phillipe Champagne also dropped into Bayfm for a chat on Friday. He says coming into the Bay of Islands reminds him of the Fjord in Norway. Meanwhile, Patti Ricketts is the Cruise Marketing Coordinator at the Port. She says the Port of Corner Brook will remain open for business year-round and they are excited about extending the tourism season beyond the fall. They introduced a winter cruising fee this year for when the opportunity arises. Ricketts says lingering ice in the Bay of Islands is often a challenge in the beginning of the season, however, many smaller expedition lines have introduced ice-class vessels that would not be prohibited by the conditions of the bay. Ricketts has just returned from a Cruise Canada New England Sales Mission in London and Hamburg where she met with a number of cruise lines. Since 2019, the corporation has doubled the number of passengers and crew.