Corner Brook NL Newfoundland-Labrador Canada
Canada

41 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Azamara Club Cruises (1 Cruises)

Holland America Line (7 Cruises)

Oceania Cruises (20 Cruises)

Ponant (2 Cruises)

Princess Cruises (8 Cruises)

Silversea Cruises (3 Cruises)

The ship slowly ascends Humber Arm, a long sheltered water corridor between forested hills that rival any fjord, and Corner Brook appears at the head of Bay of Islands, backed against its mountains. Newfoundland's second agglomeration with some 19,000 inhabitants, Corner Brook grew around its pulp mill opened in 1925, one of the world's largest at the time. The port-call effortlessly marries urban walk, explorer memory and landscapes of the island's west.

Getting Oriented from the Wharf

Ships moor directly at the wharf without transhipment, and a shuttle generally connects the terminal to the centre, clustered around West Street. The table below places the port-call's main landmarks.

LandmarkApproximate Distance from Wharf
Downtown (West Street)1.5 km, shuttle or 20 minutes' walk
Captain Cook Monument5 km, short taxi ride
Margaret Bowater Park2.5 km
Gros-Morne National ParkAbout 120 km, full-day excursion

In Captain Cook's Footsteps

Before charting the Pacific, James Cook surveyed Newfoundland in the 1760s, and his charting of Bay of Islands remains renowned by historians for its precision. The monument dedicated to him, perched on Crow Hill's heights, offers the region's finest panorama: Humber Arm unrolled at its feet, the Blomidon mountains afar and the ship below, reduced to a model. Photographers find their happiness there, especially early in the day when light rakes the bay.

A City of Paper and Maples

Downtown, West Street lines cafés, shops and galleries in the atmosphere of a working-class city become service centre; you can procure here both local woolens and a disc of traditional Newfoundland music. The mill, still active on the waterfront, recalls the place's origin: it remains one of Atlantic Canada's last newsprint mill agglomerations. For a green break, Margaret Bowater Park shades the banks of a brook with its trails and summer pool, within walking distance of the centre. Running and cycling enthusiasts will instead use the Corner Brook Stream Trail, which crosses the quarters following the water to waterfalls surprisingly close to the shopping streets.

Gros-Morne for Longer Port-Calls

If the ship remains at least eight hours at the wharf, the excursion to Gros-Morne National Park becomes feasible: interior fjords, bare plateaus and the strange Tablelands, where the earth's mantle surfaces in ochre rock, a geological phenomenon that earned the site its UNESCO World Heritage inscription. Budget about an hour and a half of driving in each direction; the round trip thus requires careful planning, ideally through an organized excursion that guarantees your return aboard. Those with less time will unhesitatingly fall back on the Humber Valley, renowned for its Atlantic salmon, or the fishing village of Cox's Cove, at the end of the coastal road.

The Accent of the West

Newfoundland tells itself too through its people, and the port-call is no exception: the singing accent, the humour and helpfulness of residents rank among the memories passengers most often take away. A stop at a local pub, a conversation at the market or simply a question asked along the way suffices to measure the warmth of Newfoundland's welcome.

Casting Off

On departure, the ship descends Humber Arm in evening light, and the hills file past one last time on each side. You leave with the view from Crow Hill in mind, the impression of an unpretentious place and perhaps the desire to return one day by road to give Gros-Morne the time it deserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

Alongside at the wharf, with no tendering. A shuttle usually links the terminal to the town centre around West Street.
The town centre, yes: West Street and its shops are easily walked, and Margaret Bowater Park is within reach. The Cook monument up on Crow Hill, though, means a stiff climb or a taxi.
The Cook monument for the view, a stroll along West Street and the Corner Brook Stream Trail to the waterfalls fill the half day. Gros Morne National Park is only realistic if the ship stays at least eight hours.
The James Cook monument, perched on Crow Hill: the Humber Arm unrolled below, the Blomidon Mountains in the distance and your ship reduced to a model. Early-day light is the most flattering.
Before charting the Pacific, James Cook surveyed Newfoundland in the 1760s. His survey of the Bay of Islands is still praised by historians for its accuracy.
Only on a call of at least eight hours. Allow about an hour and a half each way by road: take an organised excursion that guarantees your return to the ship rather than improvising.
The Tablelands, where the Earth's mantle is exposed as ochre rock, a geological phenomenon that earned the site UNESCO World Heritage listing. Inland fjords and bare plateaus complete the picture.
The Humber Valley, known for its Atlantic salmon, or the fishing village of Cox's Cove at the end of the coast road. The Corner Brook Stream Trail, which follows the water through the neighbourhoods to waterfalls, starts on foot from the centre.
About 19,000 people, the second-largest community in Newfoundland. The town grew around its paper mill, opened in 1925 and still working at the water's edge.
June to September, when Atlantic Canada cruises are running. The people are part of the memory too: the singing accent, the humour and the helpfulness of Newfoundlanders come up in every account.