Atlantic Canada Wraps Record Cruise Season With 845,000 Passengers

Atlantic Canada’s cruise industry closed out a record 2025 season with 610 vessel visits and more than 845,000 passenger visits across ports in the region’s four provinces, according to the Atlantic Canada Cruise Association (ACCA).

ACCA said the season began March 10 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, with Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot making a first winter call, and ended Nov. 19 when AIDAdiva departed Halifax, Nova Scotia.

A longer operating window beyond peak fall

ACCA Executive Director Sarah Rumley said the region’s role on Canada–New England itineraries remains a major driver, while demand is also extending more noticeably into summer.

“While the beauty of autumn will always be a remarkable draw, guests are discovering the vibrancy of our summer season,” Rumley said, adding that visitors are also responding to the range of experiences offered across ports and the region’s cuisine.

• Season opening: March 10, with Le Commandant Charcot’s winter call in Corner Brook.
• Season closing: Nov. 19, with AIDAdiva’s departure from Halifax.
• Total vessel visits: 610 across Atlantic Canada.
• Total passenger visits: More than 845,000 across Atlantic Canada.

New ship calls across a mix of cruise brands

ACCA said 2025 included multiple first-time visits, reflecting a spread of luxury, premium, and contemporary operators adding Atlantic Canada calls. New callers identified by ACCA included:

• Brilliant Lady (Virgin Voyages)
• Allura (Oceania Cruises)
• Celebrity Silhouette (Celebrity Cruises)
• Le Commandant Charcot (Ponant)
• Majestic Princess (Princess Cruises)
• Seven Seas Splendor (Regent Seven Seas Cruises)
• Silver Dawn (Silversea)

Among the season’s notable operational markers, Le Commandant Charcot’s winter arrival in Corner Brook stood out as an example of cruise activity pushing beyond the conventional shoulder months.

Port-by-port milestones and high-volume days

Saint John, New Brunswick: record totals and weather-driven itinerary shifts

Port Saint John posted its busiest season on record, with 83 cruise ship calls and more than 196,000 passenger visits. The port also handled multiple itinerary changes tied to weather, which helped drive its busiest week on record.

From Sept. 29 through Oct. 3, Saint John received 15 vessels and more than 32,000 passenger visits, ACCA said, a concentration of traffic that included diverted calls.

Sydney, Cape Breton Island: frequent multi-ship days

Cape Breton Island exceeded 100 cruise ship visits in 2025, with ACCA saying the Port of Sydney managed repeated high-volume days that included double, triple, and even quadruple ship calls.

Halifax, Nova Scotia: season finale and industry convening

Halifax served as the season’s closing port when AIDAdiva departed on Nov. 19. During the summer, the city also hosted the Cruise Canada New England Symposium, welcoming more than 200 delegates from June 9 to 11 for discussions focused on the Canada–New England cruise market.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: a long-running visitor milestone

Port Charlottetown reached its two millionth cruise visitor on July 4 during a call by Holland America Line’s Volendam.

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: inaugural calls, turnarounds, and overnight stays

St. John’s recorded nine inaugural calls in 2025, along with eight turnarounds. The port also hosted multiple overnight stays, allowing longer time ashore than standard day calls.

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador: winter call and a repeat visit from Queen Mary 2

Corner Brook’s schedule included the winter call by Le Commandant Charcot and a return by Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 for a third call to western Newfoundland and Labrador, highlighting both early-season growth and repeat visits on regional itineraries.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s record year and newly certified destinations

Within the broader Atlantic Canada results, Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador reported a record year, saying more than 100,000 people arrived in the province by cruise ship in 2025. The organization said the total was supported by more than 180 ship calls spread across 24 destinations, including smaller and more remote communities.

“We definitely had a record breaking season,” said Katelyn Budgell, managing director of Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador, pointing to the province’s expanding list of communities able to host cruise traffic.

Budgell said Trinity and Bonavista were newly certified by Transport Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to accept cruise ships. Trinity hosted three ships during the season, and Bonavista hosted two.

She added that the province’s activity began with a cruise ship arrival in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon in January, which falls under Newfoundland and Labrador’s cruise industry jurisdiction, and that the season ran through October, making 2025 the longest cruise season in the province’s history.

Corner Brook logs its longest season to date

A Dec. 17 statement from the Corner Brook Port Corporation said the port welcomed 24 ship calls and more than 30,000 passengers from March through October.

Corner Brook Port Corporation CEO Kelly Smith said the winter cruise ship visit was “a significant milestone” and described it as evidence the province can attract cruise tourism year-round.

Bookings already reaching as far as 2028

Looking ahead, Budgell said itineraries are being reserved well beyond the next season, with bookings coming in for sailings as far out as 2028. With the 2025 season now closed, ACCA and regional ports are moving into a planning cycle shaped by already-committed itineraries, including how many early- and late-season calls remain on schedules as cruise lines finalize deployments for upcoming years.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many vessel and passenger visits did Atlantic Canada record in 2025?

ACCA reported 610 vessel visits and more than 845,000 passenger visits across ports in the four Atlantic provinces during the 2025 cruise season.

When did the 2025 Atlantic Canada cruise season start and end?

ACCA said the season opened March 10 with Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot calling in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, and ended Nov. 19 when AIDAdiva departed Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Which ships were listed as new callers to Atlantic Canada in 2025?

ACCA identified Brilliant Lady, Allura, Celebrity Silhouette, Le Commandant Charcot, Majestic Princess, Seven Seas Splendor, and Silver Dawn as new callers in the region during 2025.

How did Newfoundland and Labrador’s 2025 cruise season stand out?

Cruise Newfoundland and Labrador said the province welcomed more than 100,000 cruise visitors in 2025, supported by more than 180 ship calls across 24 destinations. Managing director Katelyn Budgell said activity began with a January arrival in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and ran through October, making it the longest cruise season in the province’s history.

What milestone was celebrated in Charlottetown in 2025?

Port Charlottetown marked its two millionth cruise visitor on July 4, 2025, during a call by Holland America Line’s Volendam.