Marco Polo Project

PHOTO MATTHEW SHERWOOD/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises, cuts a rope to officially open the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal Monday night. At left is Stephen Campbell, chairman of the Saint John Port Authority, and at right is Capt. AI Soppitt, the port's president and CEO.

Saint John a premier stop, says Princess Cruises CEO

JEFF DUCHARME
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
JUNE 9/09

    SAINT JOHN - Just 24 hours before the first cruise ship of the year arrives in port, Princess Cruises president and CEO and Alan Buckelew got a first-hand glimpse at what wows many of his passengers who come to the area.
   Buckelew and Stephen Nielsen, the cruise line's vice-president, were in the city Monday to officially open the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal, but earlier in the day were given a whirlwind helicopter tour of the some of the natural wonders along the Fundy coast.
   "Saint John is an integral part of the Atlantic Canada area for us,' Buckelew said.
   "It's a beautiful port, great opportunities to not only see the Bay of Fundy, but also a lot of the local attractions and the people are very hospitable, which makes us look good when we bring people here."
   With tour guide Betty MacMillan of Cruise Saint John, the tour included walking on the ocean floor at the Hopewell Rocks, a fly over of Fundy National Park and lunch in St. Martins.
   It was "Bay of Fundy day," MacMillan said. "The more they know about us, the better."
   The Canada/New England area, Buckelew said, has been a growing sector for the cruise industry.
   "A lot of people, not just from the northeast, but all over the United States, have begun to see it as a vacation alternative; he said. "I can't speak for the industry, but for Princess it's been a growing part of our portfolio for the last 10 years:'
   Buckelew joined Capt. Al Soppitt, president and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority, and Stephen Campbell, chairman of the authority's board of directors, in cutting a rope to officially open the cruise ship terminal Monday night.
   The 3,200 passengers from the Carnival Triumph, the first cruise ship of the season, will disembark at the terminal today.
   Buckelew said the terminal doesn't have to be glitzy or high-tech, just clean.
   "People remember that because that's the first and last impression of the city," he said.
   It also takes the weather out of the equation. "The growth in Saint John over the last 15 or 20 years is really quite dramatic in cruising,"
    It's a credit to the community, Buckelew said.
   "When you think about it, with the tidal conditions here, it's not the obvious place to build a cruise itinerary around, but through the hard work of the community and the port it's become one of the premier stops in our Atlantic Canada cruising."
   Buckelew said that first impressions are often underestimated and he believes Saint Johners excel at making a great first impression.
   "When our passengers get off the ves sels, they're greeted by local volunteers and that goes a long way to convincing them that they are in a very hospitable location, a community that cares about not just the visitors that come to it, but how they're perceived,"
    That, he said, is far more important and leaves a far better impression than any building possibly could.
   "It's the hospitality and the warmth in which people are greeted."

NOEL CHENIER/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL

Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises, buckles up as pilot Barry Grant of Canadian Helicopters secures the door before heading nn a helicopter tour of the coast. Buckelew said that Saint Johners ex excel at making a great fir t impression. MATTHEW SHERWOOD/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL Laura Daigle, a Grade 9 student at Saint John High School, won the contest to name the city's new cruise ship terminal.

Uniting the past, present
Name of Marco Polo Cruise Terminal moves city's history forward, says port authority CEO

BRUCE BARTLETT
TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL
JUNE 09/09

   The city's new cruise ship terminal is now known as the Mar co Polo Cruise Terminal.
   The name, which emerged from an essay contest sponsored by the Saint John Port Authority, was unveiled during the official opening ceremony Monday night attended by more than 300 people.
   The Marco Polo name was suggested by more than one student who entered the contest, but Laura Daigle, a Grade 9 student at Saint John High School, was chosen as the winner because of the thoughtful way she put her essay together, said Stephen Campbell, chairman of the port authority.
   The Marco Polo name unites the city's past with the present, said Capt. Al Soppitt. the port's president and CEO.
    "Every time you drive by this place you are going to have a little piece of ownership," Campbell told Daigle, who was called up to the stage for the unveiling of a plaque emblazoned with the terminal's new name.
   Daigle won a pizza party for her class and lunch on a yet-to-be-designated cruise ship this year with her parents and the master of the ship, Soppitt said.
   She submitted her essay to her teacher Barry Ogden, who has worked 23 years to find a way to honour the famous sailing ship, Marco Polo.
   "I think it's great that the port authority chose the name Marco Polo because it's a local name, but it has worldwide implications, "Ogden said.
   A one-third-size replica of the Saint John-built Marco Polo, which held records for a number of years in the 19th century as the world's fastest sailing ship, is nearing completion.
   "It's fantastic," Ogden said. "Names like Marco Polo, the Fundy Trail - all these names that we connect with as a community are very, very important. I think it gives us an identity and shows that who we are and what's gone on in the past is important."

PHOTO CREDIT MATTHEW SHERWOOD/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL A plaque bears the name of Marco Polo Cruise Terminal during the official opening of the new facility Monday night.

    When the replica is completed, it will be located somewhere along the waterfront between Long Wharf and Pugsley Park, he said.
   Soppitt said he was very pleased when he heard the name chose from the essays.
   "I don't think you could pick a better name,' he said.
   Marco Polo is not just the name of the ship famous in Saint John. The ship was named after the Italian explorer who was one of the first Europeans to travel the silk road overland to China in the 13th century.
   "It pulls together our heritage and history, together with the present day and moves it forward," Soppitt said. "I am pleased we decided on a marine name."
   Anne Marie McGrath, a former member of the port authority's board of directors, was on the first committee that started the process leading to the building of a cruise ship terminal.
   "It's exciting'" she said of the opening, looking out at the view of the harbour.
   "I grew up not too far from this part of the waterfront and I think anyone who comes here will be very aware of where they are. And I think when the community comes here to use this facility they will be very aware we are a port city."
   The terminal is designed to host community events when cruise ships are not calling.
   McGrath was also pleased with the name.
   "I think Marco Polo means a lot to many people and I think it will wear well with the community," she said.
   Alan Buckelew, president and CEO of Princess Cruises, who helped officially open the new terminal, first heard Monday night that one of the prizes for naming the terminal is lunch on a cruise ship. He offered to host Daigle and her parents on one of his company's ships.
   This year 74 cruise ships will stop in Saint John, bringing 190,000 passengers and adding about $25 million to the local economy.

MATTHEW SHERWOOD/TELEGRAPH-JOURNAL Capt. AI Soppitt, president and CEO of the Saint John Port Authority, shakes hands with Alan Buckelew, president of and CEO of Princess Cruises, at the official opening of the terminal.

The Winning Essay

   I think the new cruise ship terminal should be named the Marco Polo International Cruise Ship Terminal.
   The Marco Polo is a very famous ship that was built and launched in Saint John. It is important in Saint John for several reasons.
   The Marco Polo was the world's fastest ship during the latter part of the 1800s.
   It was originally launched in Saint John's Marsh Creek in 1851. Its reputation put Saint John on the map as a shipbuilding centre. The Marco Polo's unique design, superb construction and legendary prowess promoted Canadian shipbuilding around the world. After her records, Canada - Saint John - became one of the world's foremost shipbuilders.
   There is a federal monument dedicated to it in Saint John and a CBC radio play about it. The bridge over Marsh Creek was renamed in honour of the ship. Numerous models and replicas have been done of the Marco Polo. The ship is also remembered every year by the people of Saint John by a float in the city's parade.
   Lastly, there is a project in Saint John called the Marco Polo Project. This project is in the process of creating a one-third-size replica of the Marco Polo that will be 27 metres long with an 18-metre mast.

Submitted by Laura Daigle

HOME · THE STORY · PROJECT MARCO POLO · FACTS & HISTORY · GALLERY ·
TALES & YARNS · WHAT'S NEW · FAQ · SUPPORT · GUESTBOOK · LINKS

©WebWise Inc.