Saint John lauds 1.5 millionth cruise tourist

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More than 200,000 people from 76 cruise ships will have visited the city when the 2010 season wraps up later this month.


Saint John welcomed its [B][COLOR="Red"]1.5-millionth [/COLOR][/B]cruise ship passenger ever on Wednesday as it celebrates a banner year for visits.

Camille Stearns of Little Rock, Ark., received the red-carpet treatment from city officials, including a personal meeting with Mayor Ivan Court at city hall, a limousine tour, and lunch at the caves in St. Martins.

Camille and her grandmother Dorothy Wilson — who mistakenly told a CBC reporter Camille was getting deluxe treatment for being the 1.5 millionth visitor to Bar Harbor, Maine — said they were surprised and thrilled by the honour.

Port officials say this milestone caps off a banner year for cruise tourism.

More than 200,000 people from 76 cruise ships will have visited the city when the 2010 season wraps up later this month.

"It just shows how quickly our business is growing," said Betty MacMillan, manager of business development for the Saint John Port Authority. "It took us 18 years to get to a million [passengers] and all of a sudden two years later we're at 1.5 million."

Economic spinoffs in 2010 are estimated at $26 million.

Officials say to keep up with demand they need help with an $18-million expansion of the port. They've been asking the provincial and federal governments for $4.6-million each, so the port can expand to handle more than one 300-metre ship at a time.

Jim Quinn, CEO and president of the authority, said it's not good for marketing to have to turn even one ship away because the port can't accommodate it.

The provincial Liberals had given some hints they were interested in the expansion, but were defeated by the Progressive Conservatives in the September election.

The port hopes to complete the expansion by 2013.