CORNER BROOK — Corner Brook’s record year for cruise ship visits will be extended by one more, thanks to the major storm impacting the eastern seaboard.
The track of hurricane Sandy and its associated weather conditions has caused the Emerald Princess to steam towards the safety of Corner Brook’s sheltered bay Tuesday, instead of its original destination of Halifax, N.S.
The ship, the largest of the 15 cruise ships to visit Corner Brook this season, was in Corner Brook already on Oct. 3. The vessel can carry 3,114 passengers and 1,200 crew members.
“Corner Brook is well-known as a safe haven for ships so, with the expected weather conditions from the hurricane, we were not surprised to receive an inquiry from the Emerald Princess,” Jackie Chow, chief executive officer of Corner Brook Port Corporation, said in a press release announcing the unexpected visit Saturday. “Despite the short notice, we hope to provide a positive experience for the passengers and crew and encourage local businesses to do the same.”
The Emerald Princess will arrive in port at 8 a.m. and depart at 5 p.m.
The ship departed Quebec City on Saturday for a 12-day cruise that will wind up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was scheduled to visit Sydney, N.S. today before changing course from Halifax to Corner Brook this evening.
The visit of the Emerald Princess will bring the total number of passengers and crew to visit Corner Brook in 2012 to more than 39,000 people.
