Port of Toronto starts 2023 cruise ship season
PortsToronto welcomed its first cruise ship of the 2023 season on Friday, April 28, according to the company's release. The Viking Octantis officially launched another record-breaking cruise ship season which will see 54 ships visit Canada’s largest city between May and October, bringing more than 22,000 passengers to enjoy all Toronto has to offer.
Toronto, a world-class city located on the shores of Lake Ontario, has become a popular Great Lakes cruising destination. As one of the key ports of call, passengers aboard this and other cruise ships will remain in Toronto for one to three days and support the local economy by enjoying restaurants, attractions and shopping while in the city.
In addition to supporting local tourism, entertainment and hospitality sectors, cruising is moving international travellers and their spending into the far reaches of the Great Lakes and into smaller towns and ports in Northern Ontario – investment worth celebrating. According to Cruise the Great Lakes, an initiative led by the Conference of Great Lakes Governors and Premiers, cruising in the Great Lakes generated an economic value of over $120 million USD to the region’s ports and communities in 2022.
PortsToronto welcomes the Viking Octantis, the first of 54 cruise ships expected to call at the Port of Toronto between May and October 2023.
PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed approximately 2.8 million passengers in 2019; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and the marine Port of Toronto that includes businesses in a variety of sectors including marine shipping, cargo services, media production and passenger cruises.
