Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Keep Them Coming....

Great news for our tourism industry as I'm sure a few of the 4,299 passengers and crew will get a little "teaser" of our great Province and come back and stay a little longer on another vacation. It's too bad the mall was closed but I'm sure that the merchants will catch on that these visitors are potential customers and we'll likely see the mall open in the future. Kudos to all the people involved in luring these ships to Charlottetown and let's all work hard to keep them coming back.
Massive liner docks in capital
RYAN ROSS
The Guardian
It was a busy day at Charlottetown’s harbour as the largest cruise ship to ever visit the city docked Sunday. Gary and Linda Sherwood were two of the passengers who disembarked to see Charlottetown and visit some of the Island’s attractions. Gary said they decided to take the cruise because they had been to the Caribbean before and wanted to see some Atlantic ports this time.“We’re not really warm weather people.’’ The ship and its 3,114 passengers left New Jersey Aug. 28 and will return on Sept. 6 after stops in Quebec and Nova Scotia. It was the first of four visits to the city for the Explorer of the Seas, with the others set for Sept. 14 and 28 and Oct. 12. Although it was not their first cruise, it was the first time the Sherwoods had been on a ship that big and Gary said it was easy to get lost onboard. “This one is huge.’’Linda said one of the big attractions for the couple was the ship’s stop in P.E.I. because they had never been here before. “We’ve always wanted to come.’’ The Sherwoods were headed to Cavendish for an inn and lobster tour that Linda said was the only lobster event they could get on because all of the others were sold out. “Everybody loves lobster,’’ she said. Gary said the cruise gave them a chance to go to different places without having to worry about packing and unpacking luggage and added they like to get off the ship for shore excursions every chance they get.“We like to get off and see the place.’’ Graham Kent and his wife Valerie drove from Kitchener to New York to catch the ship because they had never been to Atlantic Canada either. Kent said they hadn’t met anyone under 30 onboard and there was less excitement than other cruises they’ve taken because most of the passengers go to bed early. “It’s still a lot of fun.’’ What sold this cruise for the Kents was the onboard skating rink and the couple brought their own skates, even though Kent said it was a little strange thinking about skating on the Atlantic Ocean. “As long as it’s smooth it’s no different.’’ It was the couple’s third cruise and Kent said they liked having their transportation, accommodations and food included in the price. “The price is pretty good for that.’’ Gary said there was a downside to the cruise and its all-inclusive food. “One of the negatives of the cruise is you always leave heavier than you went on.’’

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