ST. ANTHONY, N.L. — The town of St. Anthony was abuzz with tourists when a large cruise ship containing more than 2,000 people arrived on its shores on Thursday.
Aug. 29, the Zuiderdam, a Holland America cruise ship, landed off of St. Anthony and practically doubled the population of the Great Northern Peninsula town.
The Zuiderdam arrives in St. Anthony every year and this visit carried about 1,700 passengers and 817 crew, many of whom came ashore to the community of just over 2,000 residents.
It is the second cruise ship – and the largest one – to land in St. Anthony in 2019, with four more visits anticipated in September and early October.
The cruise ship arrived at 8 a.m. allowing passengers ample stopover time before the scheduled departure at 3:30 p.m.
Visitors
Brian and Heather McMillan of Sudbury, Ontario, came ashore to experience St. Anthony. Arriving off the boat, they headed downtown to the Viking Mall and Tim Hortons. Brian said stopping in for Tim's is always a priority.
“Had a double-double because you got to have a double-double when you’re back in Canada,” he said.
The couple headed back to the Grenfell Interpretation Centre and made their way out to Fishing Point Park. When they met with The Northern Pen, they were touring the park, taking in the beautiful scenery the area has to offer.
“It’s beautiful,” said Brian. “We’re just loving it.”
The McMillans joined the cruise partway in the Netherlands. Stops were made in Iceland and Greenland on the way to St. Anthony. Their visit to the province left such a positive impression, they plan to return to experience more of what Newfoundland and Labrador has to offer.
“It is our intention to come back to Newfoundland for three weeks,” said Heather.
Meanwhile, Don Scheg and his wife, Katie Fachtor, of Rochester, N.Y., were visiting Newfoundland for the second time. They had previously driven as far north as the Gros Morne National Park back in the 1990s. But they had never travelled further up the Northern Peninsula. While his wife perused the Grenfell Interpretation Centre gift shop, Scheg killed time strolling around the premises and chatted with The Northern Pen. The highlight for him was the natural beauty of the area.
“Seeing the mountain views, I love the nature part of it, all the outdoors and the overview of the water,” he said.
Scheg acknowledged the first full trees he had actually seen in a while. The climate in Iceland and Greenland, his last two stops, prevents active tree growth. He longed for more time to take in St. Anthony.
“I wish we had more time, then I would have gone up to Fishing Point,” he said. “If I’m ever in the area again, I would recommend for people to come up this way.”
Bill and Helene Palmer of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were enjoying the cooler climate, as they sat at a bench in the park and enjoyed the scenery.
“We love the temperature, we love the people, we love the sights and sounds,” Bill told The Northern Pen. “The air is like an elixir, it gives me energy.”
The couple took in the history of the region from their visit the Grenfell House. They were awed by Dr. Grenfell’s achievements.
“That man packed a hell of a lot in a small life,” said Bill. “He was incredible.”
“We didn’t know anything about him until we came here,” added Helene. “And now we’re going to read a lot about him.”
The next stop for the passengers on their tour aboard the Zuiderdam will be St. John’s. From there, they’ll head to Halifax, N.S., and then conclude their journey back where they started in Boston, Mass.
Preparing for the Zuiderdam
A great deal of work went into preparing for the sheer volume of people entering the community from the Zuiderdam.
The ship, too large to enter St. Anthony harbour, anchored at Fishing Point.
Visitors were then transported ashore by ship tender at the Grenfell floating dock.
Malcolm Campbell, St. Anthony Harbour Master, was responsible for arranging gates and security personnel at the dock.
“It would get mindboggling if we didn’t have some kind of order here,” he told The Northern Pen
When visitors returned to board, everyone had to present a ship’s card and photo ID.
“The ship’s card is the most important thing because anybody could try to get aboard,” said Campbell.
The first stop for many visitors was the Grenfell Interpretation Centre, which maintains the dock at its property.
For Cynthia Randell, Grenfell Historical Society manager, it was a matter of having extra staff on hand, extra food to serve, and extra stock of products.
The society also set up a table dockside to pass out information, including brochures and town maps, to the visitors.
“I’m really excited for it,” she told The Northern Pen before the big day. “It puts a smile on my face.”
Marilyn Earle, dockside manager in St. Anthony for Atlantic Cruises, is responsible for acquiring guides and arranging tours when a cruise ship arrives.
Bus tours were scheduled to the L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site and Fishing Point Park in St. Anthony, while boat tours and hikes were also organized for visitors.
Meanwhile, passengers were free to roam around town and take in all that St. Anthony has to offer.
Thresa Burden, Tourism and Development Officer for the Town of St. Anthony, said the arrival of cruise ships is a great economic boost for the town.
“We’re doubling our population and it’s a great economic boost,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to say a dollar value, but they do the gift shops, the restaurants and it’s a great day for everyone.”
Tours arranged for passengers
- L’Anse aux Meadows: A Viking Experience – seven bus tours
- Dine with the Vikings (Fishing Point in St. Anthony) – two bus tours
- Santana Trail Hike (Fishing Point) – one bus tour
- Tea House Hill Walking Trail Hike (near Grenfell House) – one hike
- Northland Discovery Boat Tours – three tours
