🚢 Cruising into Toronto? Don't Miss the Blue Jays
Toronto is one of the most exciting cruise ports on the Great Lakes circuit, welcoming boutique and luxury vessels from Viking Cruises, Victory Cruise Lines, Pearl Sea Cruises, Ponant, and Hapag-Lloyd between April and October each year. The Blue Jays home season runs from late March through late September, overlapping almost perfectly with Toronto's entire cruise season.
Whether your ship is calling into port for the day or your cruise begins or ends in Toronto, there's a very good chance a home game is on the schedule during your stay. The Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal at 8 Unwin Avenue is just a short drive from Rogers Centre — first pitch is never far away. Tickets are available at mlb.com/bluejays.
If you were in Toronto this past weekend, you witnessed something special. Before the first pitch was even thrown on Opening Night, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. addressed a sellout crowd of 40,000 during the banner-raising ceremony and said something that captured the spirit of this city perfectly: "We love you guys. Thank you for always bringing the energy. Without you guys, we're not doing last year."
💡 Jules' Tip: Stay until the final out. The Blue Jays led Major League Baseball with 49 comeback wins in 2025, and Opening Weekend 2026 picked up right where that left off — two of the three games were decided in the final innings. The best moments often happen when everyone else has already left for the parking lot.
Opening Weekend Recap — A Sweep to Remember
The Blue Jays swept the Athletics in all three games to open 3–0 for the first time since 1996. Here are some of this weekend's highlights:
The evening began with one of the most emotional pregame ceremonies Rogers Centre has ever hosted — 50 years of Blue Jays baseball celebrated with fan messages, infield projections, and the raising of the 2025 American League Champions banner. Kevin Gausman marked the occasion by striking out the first three batters of the season. The game was decided in the ninth inning when Andrés Giménez singled home Kazuma Okamoto for the walk-off win. Okamoto also collected his first MLB hit on the night, a moment the sellout crowd celebrated as loudly as any home run.
New Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease announced himself to Toronto emphatically, striking out 12 batters over 5.1 innings while allowing just one run — a franchise record for strikeouts in a Blue Jays debut. The Athletics erupted for five runs in the seventh to take a 6–2 lead, but the Blue Jays refused to let it stand. They fought back run by run through the eighth, ninth, and tenth before sending it to extras. In the 11th, Ernie Clement lined a walk-off single to left-centre to seal it. Watch the moment here. It was the Blue Jays' second straight walk-off win to open a season, the first time any team had done that since 2014.
Eric Lauer was sharp and efficient, striking out 9 batters over 5.1 innings to set the tone for a clean, controlled victory. Home runs from George Springer, Jesús Sánchez, and Kazuma Okamoto — who launched his first career MLB home run in the fourth inning, a 420-foot shot off a 96 MPH fastball — did the rest. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made a point of being the first man at home plate to welcome Okamoto. The two exchanged their now-famous handshake — catch that highlight here — before Okamoto slid on the home run jacket for the very first time. Jeff Hoffman closed things out with a clean ninth. Toronto's sweep was complete.
🏷 Kazuma Okamoto — A Story Worth Following All Season
Three games into his MLB career, Okamoto has already scored the first run of the season, collected his first MLB hit, and hit his first MLB home run. The 29-year-old arrived from Japan's NPB on a four-year, $60 million deal after six 30-home run seasons in Japan. Watch for number 7 at third base all season long.
Your Toronto Game-Day Guide
- Rogers Centre is at 1 Blue Jays Way, steps from Union Station — one of the most transit-accessible stadiums in North America. Take the subway or GO Train right to the door.
- Pair the game with a visit to the CN Tower right next door, or a stroll along Harbourfront before first pitch for some of the best skyline views in the city.
- Look out for Loonie Dog Nights on Tuesdays and Jr. Jays Sundays throughout the season for great value deals.
- Arriving by cruise ship? The Port of Toronto Cruise Ship Terminal at 8 Unwin Avenue in the Port Lands is a short drive to Rogers Centre.
- Don't miss Canada Day on July 1st — Rogers Centre turns red for the annual celebration as the New York Mets make their first Toronto visit of the season.
Games & Ships: 2026 Combined Calendar
Blue Jays home games on the left, cruise ship calls on the right. Highlighted rows mean your ship is in port on a game day — plan accordingly!
💡 Jules' Tip: If you're at a game this season when Okamoto steps to the plate with runners on base, get on your feet. He hit 30 or more home runs for six straight seasons in Japan and already has one MLB home run in just three career games. Rogers Centre has not seen anything yet.
Exciting Times for Toronto Baseball
If your Great Lakes cruise is calling at Toronto, you're stepping into one of the most exciting baseball cities in North America right now. The 2025 Blue Jays delivered 94 wins, an AL-best 54–27 home record, and a World Series appearance for the first time in 32 years. Rogers Centre was electric in 2025, and 2026 has already picked up right where that left off.
Players to Watch in 2026
The Blue Jays enter 2026 as reigning American League Champions. Here are the names to cheer for all season long.
Signed the largest contract in franchise history — 14 years, $500 million — and the kind of talent you build a franchise around for the next 14 years.
The man who anchored Toronto's World Series rotation in 2025 gets the ultimate honour — the Opening Night ball as a Blue Jay for the very first time.
12 strikeouts in 5.1 innings on his Blue Jays debut — a franchise record. If that's the opening statement, the rest of the season is going to be very interesting.
AL Silver Slugger at DH in 2025, 32 home runs, and one of the most clutch postseason bats in the game.
Kirk set career highs in every offensive category in 2025, then tied the all-time MLB postseason home run record for catchers with five.
Four-year, $60 million deal from Japan's NPB. First MLB hit. First MLB home run. Three games in. Watch this space all season.
Set the all-time MLB record for most hits in a single postseason with 30 in 2025. The Rogers Centre crowd chanted his name in the 11th inning on Saturday. Enough said.
Delivered the walk-off single on Opening Night. Already 4-for-5 in Saturday's thriller. Steps up when it matters.
The two-out, two-run single in Game 4 of the 2025 ALDS that drove in the series-clinching run against the Yankees. One of the clutchest moments of last season.
Missed 52 games in 2025 but still hit 20 home runs, then homered off Blake Snell in Game 1 of the World Series.
Went deep on Sunday in just his third game as a Blue Jay. A powerful right-handed bat who slots right into this lineup.
Set the franchise playoff strikeout record (39 Ks) in 2025. Currently sidelined with a shoulder injury — expected back mid-season.
💡 Jules' Tip: Don't miss Canada Day on July 1st — Rogers Centre turns red for the annual celebration as the New York Mets make their first Toronto visit of the season. Canadians and visitors alike make it an unforgettable afternoon.