Nova Star Cruises bookings to Nova Scotia up, says company

The operator of the ferry between Yarmouth, N.S., and Portland Maine says it will bring more passengers to the province in the early part of the tourism season than it did last year.

Danny Morton, director of cruise marketing and business development with Nova Star Cruises, says to date 16 bus tours have booked passage on the vessel up until late June and early July compared with one during the same period last year.

Overall, the company says 80 motor coaches are expected to use the ferry this year compared to 19 during the ferry's inaugural season in 2014.

Nova Star Cruises chief executive officer Mark Amundsen also says pre-booked passenger sales are higher for every day in June.

After bringing 59,000 tourists to Nova Scotia last year the money-losing service has set an overall goal of 80,000 passengers for this season, which is scheduled to begin Monday.

The provincial government is providing $13 million in funding this year after spending $28.5 million to subsidize the ferry last season.