The cruise ship industry had a banner year in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2025, and that momentum doesn’t look like it will be slowing down any time soon.

Katelyn Budgell, the managing director with Cruise NL, describes last year as a “huge” year for the industry.

She says they had the longest cruise season in the province’s history, thanks to the Port of Corner Brook accepting the province’s first winter cruise. The season ran from January 16th to October 22nd, 2025. According to Budgell, they broke records with 180 cruise ship calls, and 24 ports visited.

As for what is driving the interest from cruise lines, Budgell says this province offers something “completely different” in the industry. Newfoundland and Labrador has a very unique culture and coastlines. She also notes that there are a lot of cruises that only visit Viking settlements, which this province has.

Another competitive edge the province has, says Budgell, is its geographic location. She says this province has ships coming from New York, Boston, Greenland, Iceland, and the Mediterranean.