Caraquet celebrates arrival of first cruise ship

Dozens of people turned out to greet Caraquets first cruise ship Friday.

"We just seen it here at the dock and we just thought wed come in and check it out," said Byron Stever, who was in the area when it arrived.

The Yorktown carries just 120 passengers, allowing it to sneak into small ports like the one in Caraquet.

Passengers on the ship were thrilled to spend a few hours seeing a place that larger ships dont see.

"Were just hoping to get a lot of the culture and the way people live up here and the history," said Jan Sturdevant of Houston, Texas.

The visit was more than just a novelty. It opens up another source of revenue for the Acadian Peninsula.

"In Saint John, a cruise ship came in by accident 20 years ago and we have a vibrant cruise ship industry there today," said Tourism Minister Trevor Holder. "The community here in Caraquet is working hard to make sure the same thing happens here."

The ship left Caraquet Friday night, heading to Quebec where its voyage will end in Montreal, bringing an end to what Caraquet hopes will be the first of many visits.