With Saint John’s cruise season starting earlier than anticipated, some tourism operators are putting all hands on deck to welcome passengers.
Virgin Voyages’ Valiant Lady arrived Wednesday at 6:30 a.m.
The cruise ship, carrying more than 2,000 sailors, was originally bound for Bermuda but diverted to Saint John due to weather conditions.
Danielle Timmons, vice-president of cruise operations with shore excursion company Aquila Tours, said staff worked all weekend to prepare tour programs for the early arrival.
“We were ready for our season to start in June, but we are absolutely thrilled that we are going to start in April and kick things off,” she said.
Timmons said the company prepared by getting its trolleys ready and reaching out to suppliers such as bus companies, seasonal tour guides, drivers and photographers to see who was ready and available to work.
For this visit, the company was only able to offer about half of its regular tour program, she said, as some restaurants and attractions included in schedules are not yet open.
Related: Weather diversion brings early start to cruise season in Saint John
Passengers will miss attractions such as Hopewell Rocks and whale watching. However, they will still be able to enjoy activities including a visit to the Maple Sugar Shack Farm, a photography tour of the city and an uptown pub crawl.
The City of Saint John also spruced up local attractions ahead of the ship’s arrival.
In an email statement Tuesday, City Market manager Andrew MacDonald said vendors “jumped into action” after learning of the early cruise stop.
“We are excited to welcome an unexpected ship visit to the City Market tomorrow,” MacDonald wrote. “While it’s arriving ahead of schedule, we are always happy to open our doors to visitors.”
MacDonald said the city also included several pop-up vendors to add energy to the market, including Rising Tide Teahouse and local artists Tracey Brown and Natasha Pillote.
“This sense of community and willingness to come together on short notice is exactly what the City Market is all about,” he said.
The Valiant Lady is staying for one day and is scheduled to sail Thursday at 4 a.m.
