With summer winding down, the fall tourism season is ramping up.

That includes the cruise ship industry, which is just now sailing into its high season.

Hundreds of cruise ship visits are scheduled for the Maritimes’ four cruise ports in the next couple of months.

Tuesday was a double cruise ship day for the Port of Saint John and more than 5,000 passengers were visiting the waterfront.

The streets were buzzing with activity as tourists soak in the sights of the city.

“The architecture is just stunning and fascinating,” said tourist Craig Shaffer, who hails from Lynchburg, Va. “From Trinity Church, then the financial district, we really love those buildings.”

For the cruise ship industry, things are just now kicking into high gear.

“We say this week is like the big rollercoaster when you're hearing that final click, click, click before you take off down the big hill and that's where we're at,” said Melanie Colpitts, a partner with Aquila Tours. “Our big season is in the weeks that lie ahead of us now.”

In Saint John alone, the cruise ship industry will bring over 176,000 passengers and almost 70,000 crew members to the city's shores this year.

Many of those visitors will be coming in September and October.

It's a similar story across the Maritimes.

Saint John is expected to see 53 ships in September and October, while Charlottetown will see 55. Sydney will see a total of 63 vessels in the next two months and Halifax will welcome 128 cruise ships in the next eight weeks.

“The ships tend to try to get out of the Caribbean in the fall, get away from the hurricane season, maybe come up to a little cooler temperatures. It's a very busy time of year,” said Betty MacMillan, cruise development manager for the Port of Saint John.

For Halifax, it's a record breaking year.

In 2017, the city welcomed more than 290,000 passengers.

This year, Halifax is anticipating more than 300,000, with 27 more ships arriving this year over last.

Holland America's Veendam brought some 1,300 extra visitors to Sydney Tuesday.

Cape Breton's autumn attractions like the Celtic Colours Festival are given a boost from the five dozen ships Sydney will see in the coming weeks.

In southern New Brunswick, the economic spinoffs for this year's visitors are expected to be in the $50 million range.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Lyall.