PortsToronto has capped off another record year at the Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal, with 45 ships bringing nearly 18,000 passengers to Toronto in 2023, representing another record season for Great Lakes cruising.
“I am thrilled to cap off another record season at the Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal, welcoming thousands of visitors to Toronto through the harbour’s scenic Eastern Gap,” said RJ Steenstra, President and CEO. “We are proud to be connecting visitors to Toronto through our city’s remarkable waterfront and to operate a transportation network that brings connectivity, tourism and investment to our city.”
The Port of Toronto hosts ships from a range of cruise lines including Viking, Hapag-Lloyd, Ponant, Plantours, American Queen and Pearl Seas. New this year, the port welcomed for their inaugural visits the Viking Polaris and Hanseatic Inspiration.
On the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto has become a popular urban destination and convenient jumping off point for cruise adventures throughout the Great Lakes, viewed by many as “untapped gems” to discover. Located next to the heart of downtown Toronto, passengers arriving at the Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal are a quick five-kilometre drive to the shopping, theatre, sporting events and restaurants you would expect in a world-class city. As a hub – or turnaround – port, passengers arriving and departing their cruise itineraries remain in Toronto for several days, enjoying all our city has to offer.
In addition to supporting local tourism, entertainment and hospitality sectors, cruising is moving international travellers and their spending into the far reaches of the Great Lakes and into smaller towns and ports in Northern Ontario – investment worth celebrating. According to Cruise the Great Lakes, an initiative led by the Conference of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers, cruising in the Great Lakes generated an economic value of over $120 million USD to the region’s ports and communities in 20221.
With the growing trend of exploration cruising, the Great Lakes cruising sector has seen steady growth in both the number of ships as well as the number of passengers, and PortsToronto expects to see another strong year for cruise in 2024.
(Photo from PortsToronto)
