Port of Toronto Caps Off Record 2023 Cruise Season

This year a record 45 cruise ships visited Toronto, a popular urban port of call in the Great Lakes

TORONTO, Dec. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - 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.

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.

View a summary video of the Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal's record 2023 season, here.

"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. 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."

-  RJ Steenstra, President and CEO, PortsToronto

"The growing Great Lakes cruise market brings international visitors to Toronto who often extend their trip, making their way into the city's many diverse neighbourhoods for food, culture, entertainment and more. We look forward to the continued growth of the cruise market that helps support a thriving visitor economy."

-  Andrew Weir, Executive Vice President, Destination Toronto

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.

For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed approximately 2.8 million passengers in 2019; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and the marine Port of Toronto that includes businesses in a variety of sectors including marine shipping, cargo services, media production and passenger cruises. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $14 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a board with representation from all three levels of government.

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SOURCE PortsToronto