More than 3,000 passengers landed in Saint John on Tuesday, marking the launch of cruise ship season.

Merchants at the open-air market in Uptown Saint John began setting up their booths early in the day to greet passengers from the Carnival Triumph, the first of an expected 74 cruise ships to dock in the city.

Port officials expect 190,000 tourists to arrive in the city by cruise ship this season.

And with the unveiling of the new Marco Polo Cruise Terminal Monday, the city's port authority is predicting the most successful season to date.

Darlene Sing has sold handmade paper products at the market for the last two years and looks forward to the arrival of cruise ship tourists.

"Believe it or not, it's not about how much I sell, it's about the people that I meet. I love to hear their stories, where they're from, what they think of the city. It's fun to give them tourist advice, where I would like them to go and see, what are my favourite spots in the city," said Sing, who works in her studio during the winter. "It makes all the work all year so worthwhile," she added.

Gary Kingsley, who sells stonework items at the market, said he still gets emails and letters from cruise ship passengers who have taken home one of his creations. He also looks forward to connecting with the people.

"Sometimes I'll sit here for half an hour talking to one person that I've met. Whether they're from America or Saint John, we've all got the same kind of problems. It's a small world when it comes right down to it."