Shelburne steps up to welcome cruise ship visitors to the town

The first two of five cruise ships that are scheduled to make Shelburne a port of call this fall will be dropping anchor on Oct. 5 and 6.

The community is ready. “Under the guidance of Sherry Doane and Robin Smith at the town, the cruises readiness committee has been working since May to host our cruise ship visitors,” says committee member Daniel Kahn, who also serves on the Shelburne and Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

The committee has brought together all key stakeholders to showcase the town to the five cruise ships who have chosen to stop here, Kahn says.

"Working with Suzanne Mahaney at the historical society, Andrea Davis and her team at the Black Loyalist Centre along with the Chamber of Commerce this team has put together a strong and compelling story to showcase the area," says Kahn, noting countless hours have gone into creating experiences for these visitors which, he says, "will hopefully spread the word that Shelburne and area is a place to visit, move to and invest in."

"The next step will be hours of execution. It's now up to each one of us in the area to put on our welcome hats and make these guests take home lasting impressions that can be shared with friends and families," Kahn says. "We count on the area to support this effort and make everyone feel welcomed and present ourselves and our town the Nova Scotia way.”

The first cruise ship arriving on Oct. 5 will be the Insignia. Carrying up to 824 passengers, it is the largest of the five ships that will be stopping in Shelburne. On. Oct. 6, the 7 Seas Navigator carrying 490 passengers will drop anchor. Both ships are scheduled to be in port from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The ships' tenders will bring passengers ashore to historic Dock Street, where there will be a welcoming committee to greet them and a multitude of activities planned.

The Guild Hall will be hosting a vendors market. Museums by the Sea will be open for tour operators and other walk-in guests. The Dory Shop will be hosting a 'build a Whirligig' for cruise guests.

The Shelburne Chamber of

Commerce will be providing a hop-on, hop-off bus that will provide transportation from Dock Street along Water Street to the Sandy Point Lighthouse, a shopping stop at the Shelburne Mall, a visit to Boxing Rock, a visit to the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre and, weather permitting, a stop at Island Park.

The chamber is also providing a lobster experience at the Shelburne Harbour Yacht Club. This will be targeted to the cruisers and will provide the participants with the experience to learn about the lobster fisherperson life on the water, learn about the traps, banding and other

lobster facts. The visitors will then enjoy a full lobster luncheon.

At the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre, where half-day tours will be open, the centre will be hosting both walk-in guests and cruise operator guests. 'Wow factor' entertainment is being brought in to enhance the experience including a gospel concert and African drummers.

“We want to make sure they walk away with a very strong understanding and knowledge of the history of Back Loyalists and African Nova Scotians,” says Andrea Davis, executive director of the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre.

Shelburne's restaurant business community has also stepped up. The Emerald Light, Ships Galley, Charlotte Lane, Mr. Fish, and Boxing Rock are all featured locations for cruisers to taste Shelburne, says Kahn.

“Cruise ships in Shelburne are an important opportunity to capitalize on,” says Brendon Pippy, owner/operator of The Emerald Light. “Nova Scotia as a whole has taken great strides in boosting its local tourism economy and this is another chance for Shelburne to show its potential as a main attraction. Tourism is a major export industry that still seems to be somewhat overlooked in our area at times. Shelburne is in a period of development. I believe the more we invest in Shelburne tourism, the faster we will develop as a community.”

While cruise ship passengers will also have the option of taking excursion packages offered by the tour operators to Lunenburg and Yarmouth during their port of call, Kahn says the community wants to keep as many around as they can.

“The goal of this has always been to show the world that Shelburne is a top destination and the choice of many who wish to relocate and invest in Nova Scotia," he says, noting with tourists arriving from all parts of the world this a great opportunity for the community to feature itself and to create an interest in all that there is to offer.

"Coming out of COVID, these first five cruises are the start to what we hope will become a premier cruise stop in 2023 as we look to hit our cap of 10 cruises next year and hopefully more in prime season," says Kahn. "To accomplish this the town specifically needs to be on its game and we are confident that the business and the community will shine in the opportunity."

Davis says the cruise ship visits have presented an opportunity of collaboration, initiatives, communication and community partnerships.

Also scheduled to stop in Shelburne is the Le Bellot on Oct 27 from 12 noon to 7 p.m. and the Le Dumont-d'Urville on Oct. 31 from 1 to 7 p.m. Both ships carry 184 passengers.

On Nov. 3, the Seabourn Quest, carrying 450 passengers, is scheduled to be in port from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.