Official Program
Day 1 — June 9
6:30 – 10:00 | Breakfast
Enjoy the complimentary breakfast at your hotel
7:00 – 18:00 | Registration at your hotel
9:00 – 16:00 | The Saguenay Experience
presented by Destination North America and Saguenay Fjord
You will receive your excursion schedule by email based on your selection and group availability
17:00 – 18:00 | Transportation with Intercar to La Pulperie de Chicoutimi
17:00 – 23:00 | Enjoy an evening at La Pulperie de Chicoutimi:
21:00 – 23:00 : Transportation with Intercar back to your hotel
Day 2 — June 10
6:30 – 10:30 | Breakfast
Enjoy the complimentary breakfast at your hotel
7:00 – 8:30 | Registration at your hotel
7:30 – 14:30 | Continuous transportation with Intercar to and from the Saguenay Cruise Terminal
8:00 – 9:00 | Welcome & Opening Remarks — State of our Region
Regional overview and CCNE outlook by Sarah Rumley Executive Director Cruise Atlantic Canada & Co-Chair of Cruise Canada New England and Sharon Newcomb, Cruise Marketing & Business Development Manager & Co-Chair of Cruise Canada New England, and Anna Tsaur, Manager, Research & Analytics, CLIA.
9:00 – 10:00 | Shared Horizons: CCNE Destination Marketing Strategy
presented by Creative Assassin and Access Cruise
Sharing our coordinated marketing strategy for the CCNE destination – the approach, the partnerships behind it, and why the timing matters now. We’ll look at how stronger alignment across the region can improve how we position and sell the destination — and why that matters as we work to build demand and support cruise deployment. We’ll also touch on what’s been done so far and offer a first look at early results.
Moderator:
Panelists:
- Marie-Andrée Blanchet, Director, Cruises and Port Ecosystem, Port of Québec & President, Cruise the Saint Lawrence
- Heather Krasnow, Founder, Creative Assassin
- Marc-Antoine Kamel, National Director Canada, Norwegian Cruise Line
- Chris Martin, Senior Director, Marine & Port Operations, Holland America Line
10:00 – 10:15 | Pause & Connect — Continuous Barista Coffee Break
presented by Port of Havre-Saint-Pierre
10:15 – 11:15 | Shared Horizons: Community Engagement & Innovation
presented by Laurentian Pilotage Authority
Tapping into what’s new – A presentation of innovative projects implemented across the Saint-Lawrence destination, both for visitors and host communities. How can artificial intelligence help us better plan and guide our actions? As expectations evolve, we’ll look at how these insights are helping us respond to community concerns while continuing to grow in a way that works for both residents and visitors.
Moderator:
- Valérie Patry, Sustainable Development & Communications Advisor, Cruise the Saint Lawrence
Speaker:
- Daniel Fournier, President & CX Strategist, DFSA, and President & CEO, J360x
11:15 – 12:00 | Shared Horizons : First Impressions Matter — How Terminals Drive Experience and Operations
presented by CLIA
Cruise terminals do more than move passengers — they shape first impressions and set the tone for the entire journey. Across Cruise Canada New England, anchored by key homeports such as New York, Boston, Québec City, and Montréal, and supported by a diverse network of destinations, terminals play a central role in both the passenger experience and day-to-day operations. With new projects underway and continued investment throughout the region, the opportunity is not only to grow, but to grow wisely. This panel brings together perspectives from ports, terminal operations, and ground partners to explore what is working, where challenges remain, and how cruise terminals can better support passenger flow, operational efficiency, and overall performance — today and in the years ahead.
Moderator:
Guest:
- Leah McKenney, Program Director of Market & Financial Feasibility, Bermello Ajamil
12:00 – 13:30 : Fire & Fjord — Lunch of the Pier
presented by Maine Office of Tourism
13:30 – 14:30 : Shared Horizons: A Vision for the Future
presented by St. Lawrence Pilotage
This session is really about taking a step back and asking ourselves a simple question: where could the Canada–New England cruise industry be by 2045? We’ll keep it open and honest—what’s working, what’s not, and what actually needs to change if we want to move forward. The goal isn’t to overcomplicate things, but simply to walk away with a few clear ideas and a shared sense of where we’re headed.
Speaker:
14:30 – 15:00 | Transportation with Intercar back to your hotel
16:00 – 17:00 | Themed transportation to Val-Jalbert
17:30 – 21:00 | Enjoy an evening at the Historic Village of Val-Jalbert:
- 17:30 – 18:45 | Connections Offshore — Networking cocktail at the General Store
- 19:00 – 21:00 | Final Anchorage — Closing dinner
presented by Flynn Cruiseport Boston
Closing dinner—sponsored by the host city of the CCNE 2027 Symposium—featuring Bud Darr, President and CEO of CLIA, who will offer a global perspective on the strategic role of the cruise industry, both in our region and internationally. The evening will conclude the event with key messages from CLIA, highlighting opportunities and challenges shaping the future of the sector.
21:00 – 23:00 | After the falls — After-party & entertainment
21:00 – 23:30 | Themed transportation back to your hotel presented by Montreal Cruises
Day 3 — June 11
6:30 – 8:15 | Breakfast
Enjoy the complimentary breakfast at your hotel
7:00 – 12:00 | Continuous transportation with Intercar to OTL Gouverneurs
7:00 – 9:00 | Welcome at OTL Gouverneurs
7:00 – 17:30 | The Saguenay Experience
presented by Destination North America and Saguenay Fjord
You will receive your excursion schedule by email based on your selection and group availability
9:30 – 10:30 | CCNE Marketplace at OTL Gouverneurs
presented by Cruise Atlantic Canada
10:30 – 10:45 | CCNE Networking Break
10:45 – 11:45 | CCNE Marketplace at OTL Gouverneurs
presented by Cruise Atlantic Canada
11:45 – 12:30 | Midday Port Call — Boxed Lunches
presented by FK Warren
End of the CCNE Symposium 2026