The cruise season in Montreal has officially kicked off. The City of Montreal is expecting to welcome nearly 60,000 passengers and crew, numbers similar to recent years according to the Port of Montreal.
“We are pushing the cruise sector in Montreal to be more [of a] luxury cruise where there’s a culinary experience on board and a lot of partnership with local businesses,” said Julie Gascon, president and CEO of the Port of Montreal.
In 2024, the economic impact of the cruise industry was estimated at $25 million.
This year, 13 cruise lines and 21 different ships will dock in the Old Port.
Tourisme Montreal says cruise passengers are considered “luxury passengers” as they are tempted to spend more money when they are in the city.
“We’re talking about $30 million in the kind of benefits,” said Aurelie de Blois of Tourisme Montreal.
The season will come to a close at the end of October.
