• 30. Oktober 2019

Sept-Îles marks a major milestone as record season comes to a close

SEPT-ÎLES, October 30th, 2019 – It has been a banner year for Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu. After an impressive spring earning international recognition at the Cruise Insight Awards in Miami and an award at the Gala du Mérite Nord-Côtier, the cruise development organization now marks the end of its tenth season of international cruises with record visitor numbers and plans for a new permanent welcome pavilion in the works.

The season began in early May with a call from the British ship Saga Sapphire, its third stop in Sept-Îles. The summer featured a special “Cruise Guest for a Day” event organized by the Port of Sept-Îles to celebrate its 20th anniversary, as well as maiden calls from the Seabourn Quest and Ponant’s expedition yacht Le Champlain. In September and October, MS Arcadia from P&O and Silver Wind from Silversea sailed in for their second visits, while the legendary RMS Queen Mary 2 made its third and fourth consecutive calls.


But the ship that drew the most attention this season was the Serenade of the Seas, brought in for safe harbour from Hurricane Dorian with less than 24 hours of notice. This was a historic first: not only was it the ship’s first call to our Sept-Îles port, but it was the first for the Royal Caribbean International cruise line. The vessel spent 34 hours in port the day after RMS Queen Mary 2, bringing a total of nearly 10,000 passengers and crew members ashore in a span of three days.

While the last-minute visit presented a logistical challenge, especially in terms of transportation and human resources, it also revealed potential avenues to improve reception procedures when such a situation arises. A number of passengers decided to leave the ship and return home on their own when they saw their travel plans upended by the storm, and either rented cars or flew out of the Sept-Îles airport. But those who remained were pleasantly surprised by the level of hospitality they received. Many left glowing comments at the mayor’s office, praising the warm welcome and efforts made to accommodate them:

“I wanted to thank everyone there in Sept-Iles for being so receptive of our unexpected visit to your port city. You were all so incredible! I have never seen such great warmth and hospitality offered by a local community. The people of your city should be extremely proud to have such wonderful people in their community.” – R. Rose, Oklahoma

Marie-Eve Duguay, executive director of Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu (DSIN), was pleased to see that the team was able to answer Royal Caribbean International’s call and that everyone’s hard work was recognized:

“This recognition and the industry’s trust in our port of call are entirely due to the dedication of our reception staff on site and all our partners and associates. Each and every one of them is deeply invested in this endeavour and proud to show the world how welcoming we are. That’s really the strength of our destination, and it’s ultimately the personal aspect that people remember.”

The Cruise Terminal was full of exciting activities this year. Cruise guests and locals alike joined in festive shrimp peeling and corn boil with Poissonnerie Soucy and Marché Napoléon, sampled local products with Table Bioalimentaire Côte-Nord, and enjoyed traditional Innu dishes prepared by Centre Innushkueu Mani-Utenam. Music by saxophonist Philippe-François Gallant and traditional dance performances by the Innu children from École Tshishteshinu, accompanied by Paul-Arthur McKenzie on the teuiekan, a traditional drum, also drew crowds.

While the number of ships welcomed in a single season was on par with the record, the total number of passengers and crew members practically doubled. Over the nine sunny days when ships were in port, 18,655 passengers and crew members travelling from Europe (55%) and the U.S. (45%) filled the streets and shops of Sept-Îles, topping the prior record set in 2014 by 91.2%.

Ripple effect


The direct and indirect benefits of this many cruise visitors are palpable. While ships stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables, and even on seafood from local fish markets, the shuttle service was running on a loop and the shops did a brisk business.

Tourist attractions were busy too. Some 900 people discovered the Shaputuan Museum and nearly 4,000 visitors were recorded at the Old Trading Post and Musée régional de la Côte-Nord during that period. DSIN’s photo exhibition celebrating ten years of international cruises was also a big hit with the international crowds. The new excursion to Purmer’s marine farm, photo safaris with a local photographer, and rib boat tours of the archipelago were also very in demand, selling out every time they were offered.

Financing complete on permanent reception building


In September Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions announced a major investment in the $2.3 million project to build a permanent welcome pavilion for the Port of Sept-Îles. Work can now begin. Based on the preliminary schedule, DSIN is hoping to complete the project in time for the 2022 season. The executive director considers this new permanent building key to the destination’s growth:

“We’ve been working on this project since 2016, and we could not have reached this important milestone without the leadership and support of the City of Sept-Îles, the Port of Sept-Îles, and the Innu Council of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam. We are pleased that our provincial and federal governments also recognize the importance of tourism in our areas and are choosing to join us in investing in our growth.”

Once the destination has permanent facilities, it will save on the cost of materials and human resources previously required to set up and break down temporary infrastructure, and will be able to serve ships year-round. It may even be possible to conduct embarkation/disembarkation operations for “expedition”-size ships down the road.

– 30 –

 

Comments received following Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas maiden call in Sept-Iles:

I'm a passenger currently on Serenade of the Seas. I wanted to thank everyone there in Sept-Iles for being so receptive of our unexpected visit to your port city. You were all so incredible! I have never seen such great warmth and hospitality offered by a local community. The people of your city should be extremely proud to have such wonderful people in their community.

Thank you again.

Sincerely, R. Rose - Wagoner, OK

P.S. Oh, and your farewell greeting nearly brought tears to my eyes. It was amazing!

 

Dear Mayor

I was a passenger on the Serenade of the Seas which docked in you harbour to avoid hurricane Dorian on September 7th and 8th.  I just wanted to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude for the hospitality extended to all of us by your community.

From all the vendors that had set up their stall in the big tent on the dock, including the City of Sept Ilse who provided us with town maps and pins, to the people who gave us tours of your beautiful city.  Everywhere we went we were welcomed by your residents and merchants. It was an awesome experience.

As we were leaving port on Sunday afternoon it was wonderful to see your towns people holding up large letters wishing us “Bon Voyage”.

This whole trip was one of the best I have ever experienced and one of the highlights that I will always remember is the warm reception we received from you community.  Thank you again for providing us with safe harbour and the kindness extended to all the passengers on the Serenade of the Seas.

Sincerely, A. Cowan

 

Mr Mayor,                                                           

I wanted to send you my gratitude to your town and the citizens for their wonderful response and friendship during our unscheduled port visit of Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas cruise ship last week.

Without a doubt, everyone that my wife and I came across during our stay were very pleasant and helpful and made a frustrating situation very palatable and enjoyable. From the initial contact with personnel at the pier, to the bus drivers, the employees in the stores, and the everyday citizen I could not have been more pleased. We were welcomed very warmly.

Please accept my warmest and sincere appreciation to all that made a unique situation very pleasant and one of the best parts of our cruise.

Thank you, W. Brady

 

ABOUT DESTINATION SEPT-ÎLES NAKAUINANU

Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of Sept-Îles as a port of call for international cruise lines, within the Canada/New England cruise region.

Nakauinanu | Innu word meaning "where one stops".

 

Information

Marie-Eve Duguay, Executive Director

Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu

meduguay@portsi.com  |  418-961-1228

septilescruises.com