MONTREAL, May 4, 2024 /CNW/ - The Port of Montreal is proud to announce the official launch of the 2024 cruise season with the arrival of Holland America's Volendam, having served as a refuge for 1,500 Ukrainian citizens in April 2022. This is the ship's first call to the metropolis, and in keeping with tradition, a gift was presented to Captain Laurentius Oscar van Eerten.

A promising season

The 2024 cruise season promises to live up to last year's success, with some 50,000 passengers expected between May 4 and October 28, over the course of 41 operations that include nine calls and 32 boardings/disembarkations. In terms of capacity, ships range from the 180-passenger Le Bellot to the 1,440-passenger Volendam.

 "This new cruise season reflects Montreal's appeal as a world-class tourist destination. We are so very proud to offer an outstanding reception area with the Grand Quay and the Port of Montreal Tower, which have become iconic symbols for our city's tourism. This is also a great occasion to spotlight our commitment to innovation and sustainability at our port, as demonstrated by our shore power system," said Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the Port of Montreal.

"Every spring, we can't wait to see the first cruise ship of the season get here. It marks the start of an exciting time for tourism in Montreal. Cruise passengers are warmly greeted by our impressive Bonjour structure overlooking the green roof of the Port of Montreal's Grand Quay. As the gateway to the Americas, Montréal is a must-see destination on the St. Lawrence River. Tourisme Montréal is proud to collaborate with this sector, creating significant economic benefits for the restaurant owners and merchants of Old Montréal," said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO, Tourisme Montréal.

Nine cruise ships will visit Montreal for the very first time:

-  Holland America's Volendam, the first and largest ship of the season
-  Two Ponant ships, Champlain and Lyrial, accommodating 180 and 264 passengers
    respectively, providing an intimate, luxury cruising experience
-  From Villa Vie Residences, Villa Vie Odyssey with 924 passengers
-  From Rivages du Monde, World Explorer with a 200-passenger capacity, focused on the adventure experience
-  Regent's Seven Seas Grandeur with 750 passengers
-  Oceania Cruises' Nautica, with 684 passengers
-  Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' Borealis, with 1,320 passengers, and
-  Azamara Cruises' Azamara Journey, with 718 passengers, marking the return of the cruise line to Montreal after
   an eight-year absence

Three milestones will also be celebrated, further illustrating the loyalty of major cruise lines to Montreal as their port of call of choice:

• Regent's 25,000th passenger aboard the Seven Seas Grandeur on September 19
• Viking Cruises' 30,000th passenger aboard the Viking Neptune on September 27
• Oceania's 40,000th passenger aboard the Nautica on October 6

Presentation of an artwork of an Indigenous artist

The launch of the 2024 cruise season marks a change of direction for one of the Port of Montreal's most cherished marine traditions: presenting plaques to vessels making their first port call. The MPA organized a contest to redesign the traditional plaque, based on the work of a First Nations artist in connection with the marine community. As a result, Wendake native Manon Sioui's All Aboard was selected to welcome the new vessels on their maiden voyage to Montreal. Click here to find out more about the work and its significance.

An exhibition in tribute to Ukrainian refugees

Following an agreement between the Government of the Netherlands, the City of Rotterdam and Holland-America, the Volendam cruise ship served as a refuge for 1,500 Ukrainian citizens for a period of six months starting in April 2022. To commemorate this act of humanity, a permanent exhibition has been installed aboard ship. It features photographs, children's drawings and other testimonials from Ukrainian refugees.

The exhibition was officially inaugurated in the presence of Julie Gascon, President and CEO of the Port of Montreal, the Volendam crew, the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Montreal, Eugène Czolij, and the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Montreal, Michael Polak.

An ever greener port

The Volendam is one of a number of ships to use shore power technology, which makes it possible for docked vessels to turn off their engines, which in turn reduces GHG emissions. The trend at the Port of Montreal to use this environmentally-friendly solution is up. Last year a record was set when nine cruise ships connected to the system, resulting in a reduction of almost 400 tonnes of GHG emissions. This year, the system is set to be used on even more vessels, demonstrating our ongoing commitment, and that of the cruise lines, to support the marine industry's shift towards decarbonization.

A symbolic tulip to honour the friendship between Canada and the Netherlands

It is noteworthy that a tulip was symbolically presented to all the representatives on board ship to commemorate Remembrance Day, an annual observance in the Netherlands to pay tribute to soldiers and civilians who died in wars and peacekeeping operations since the outbreak of the Second World War. From autumn 1944 to spring 1945, some 175,000 Canadians fought in the campaign to liberate the Netherlands, and more than 7,600 gave their lives doing so.

Click here for the full schedule of cruise ship arrivals and departures at the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada's two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity in Canada supports some 590,000 jobs and generates $93.5 billion in economic activity.

Founded in 1919, Tourisme Montréal is a private, non-profit organization that works to position Montréal as a world-class destination for various leisure and business tourism markets. As such, the organization leads innovative tourist welcome strategies with a twofold objective: ensuring that visitors enjoy a high-quality experience and maximizing the economic benefits of tourism. Now uniting more than 1,000 businesses working directly or indirectly in the tourism industry, Tourisme Montréal plays a leading role in the management and development of Montréal's tourism offer and makes recommendations on issues with regard to the city's economic, urban and cultural development. For more information please visit https://www.mtl.org/en

SOURCE Montreal Port Authority