Arrival of the largest cruise ship ever at the Port of Montreal

MONTREAL, Oct. 2, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The AIDAbella, which this morning docked for the first time at Iberville Passenger Terminal, is the largest cruise ship to have ever visited the Port of Montreal. To mark the AIDAbella's first visit, the Port of Montreal presented a commemorative plaque to her captain.

The AIDAbella can accommodate 2,500 passengers and close to 650 crew members. The liner sailed from New York and will stop over in Montreal until Friday, October 4 at 6:00 p.m. before returning to its port of origin.

German-built and 253 metres long, the AIDAbella flies the Italian flag. She is operated by her shipowner Aida Cruises and went into service in 2008.

September and October are the two months with the most cruise ships in the Port of Montreal, as the cruise lines are attracted by Quebec's fall colours. Montreal will accommodate no fewer than four cruise ships between October 2 and 5: along with the AIDAbella (2,500 passengers), the Seven Seas Navigator (500 passengers), the Crystal Symphony (960 passengers) and a regular, the Maasdam (1,266 passengers).

Last year, the Port of Montreal welcomed close to 70,000 cruise passengers and crew members, domestic and international cruises combined, up 74% over the previous year. This excellent result is largely due to the efforts of the Montreal Cruise Committee, created in 2011 at the initiative of Tourism Montreal and the Montreal Port Authority. The committee mobilizes six other partners: Aéroports de Montréal, Casino de Montréal, Old Port of Montreal Corporation, Old Montreal Business Development Corporation, Hotel Association of Greater Montreal and the City of Montreal.

The Cruise Committee created a website dedicated to the cruise industry that showcases Montreal as a stopover of choice. Visit the À la Montréal site at http://cruises.alamontreal.com

For cruise ship arrivals and departures, please visit the Port of Montreal website at http://www.port-montreal.com/en/cruise-vessels-schedule.html

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is a major diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods - containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. It is a leading container port served by the largest container shipping lines in the world.

The Port of Montreal handled 1,375,327 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2012, representing 12,032,966 tonnes of cargo.

The port also handled 9,721,422 tonnes of liquid bulk, 3,467,394 tonnes of dry bulk and 3,070,054 tonnes of grain in 2012.

The Port of Montreal has its own rail network directly dockside. It is connected to the two national rail networks and a highway system. All other terminals are run by private stevedoring firms.

Port activity supports 18,200 jobs and generates $1.5 billion in economic spin-offs annually.

SOURCE: Montreal Port Authority

Sophie Roux
Director of Communications
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www.port-montreal.com