'I'm thrilled': Maritime tourism businesses feeling hopeful as ports prepare for return of cruise ships

For the first time in over two years, a large cruise ship has docked in Canadian waters.

More than 1,200 passengers arrived in Victoria, B.C., Saturday, marking the long awaited return of the big boats.

The Holland America ship wasn’t supposed to be the first to make the big return. Princess Cruises called off the arrival of its vessel, the Caribbean Princess, which was originally scheduled to arrive Wednesday.

On Canada's east coast, it’s a sure sign of the return of cruise ships to Maritime ports.

“There’s a massive rehiring effort underway and turning on the machines and equipment to come back to life like we want them to, so there’s a lot of work, but there is excitement,” said Lane Farguson, the director of communications and marketing at the Port of Halifax.

The first two ships to arrive in Halifax will be on April 26. To date, 151 cruise calls are scheduled for that port – about 85 per cent of the number of arrivals prior to the pandemic.

“For us, we’re restarting the industry in a fairly strong position. It’s going to take a couple of years of rebuilding to get back to where we were, but at least we're in a good position to restart,” said Farguson.

All passengers and crew members on vessels docking in Canada are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and the federal government has strict safety protocols in place for cruise lines.

For businesses that rely on cruise ship traffic, the void has left many financially frustrated.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am. I’m thrilled. We actually have bookings already, which is incredible,” said Mary Pat Mombourquette, the executive director of the Cape Breton Miners Museum.

Mombourquette says the museum is hoping to cash-in on lost revenue.

“About eight per cent is from the buses that come off the cruise ships, but way more than that get public transit, a taxi, rent a car. I would say closer to 15 to 20 per cent is from the cruise industry,” she said.

The first cruise ship to arrive in the Maritimes will be in Charlottetown on April 22.