Stricter fuel emission standards put in place in 2012 had a dramatic impact on the number of cruise ships coming to Saint John.
64 cruise ships visited our port in 2013 and that number dropped to 49 in 2014 but the numbers are improving now with 63 ships visiting last year.
Port CEO Jim Quinn tells CHSJ News part of the issue with the new tougher standards on emissions is that cruise lines book their itineraries 18 months in advance.
He says they knew in 2012 that new standards were coming in for ships destined for Canada-New England.
Just a few days away! @PortSaintJohn #cruise @SeatradeInsider https://t.co/AbZDBXWnAL
— Cruise Excellence (@AquilaCCE) June 3, 2017
Quinn says we are a destination port meaning the cruise ships come up the Bay of Fundy and they are not headed anywhere else but Saint John.
Quinn says they were able to convince federal regulators to allow them to use other technologies like scrubbers along with reducing emissions from sulphur content in ship’s fuel reduced to .1 per cent.
Port CEO Jim Quinn says we can expect 64 ships this year and now all we have to worry about is the weather.
He says it works both ways with ships diverted to Saint John because of hurricanes and that’s how the whole business started 26 years ago.
Quinn adds weather systems can also divert ships away from the city.
Port Days is now underway and the guest speakers include former Premier David Alward and a senoir manager with Disney Cruise Lines, Arnaldo Zanonato.
Tomorrow at #sjportdays we’ll honour Arthur Irving with the 20th anniversary Port Award of the Year @irvingoil https://t.co/EHAqiB4fMU pic.twitter.com/N3PEcBmt9Z
— Port Saint John (@PortSaintJohn) June 5, 2017
