Vancouver gears up for big year of cruise ship crowds
In Vancouver, there are certain things that mark the changing of the seasons — and even if the seasons don’t change, you can still be sure cruise ships will appear at the city’s waterfront in early spring.
“We always look forward to the start of the cruise season, and are thrilled this year to welcome even more visitors to our cruise terminal at Canada Place,” said Robin Silvester, president and chief executive officer of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
The 2018 cruise ship season begins Tuesday with the arrival of the Star Princess en route to Hawaii, the first hint of what’s forecast to be a big year for cruise ship tourism, the largest number of people since 2010.
Here’s a breakdown of what B.C. can expect :
■ The biggest ship expected is 994 feet long.
The Norwegian Bliss will be the largest cruise ship to ever visit Vancouver.
It can accommodate up to 4,000 and will cruise Alaska and the Caribbean seasonally beginning this summer. It is 994 feet in length and cruises at 43 kilometres an hour. The ship also features an aqua park, a race track, laser tag and a casino.
■ Vancouver will welcome 895,000 passengers.
A total of 895,000 passengers are expected on 241 vessel visits to Vancouver’s downtown port this summer. That represents a seven per cent increase over the 2017 season. Each ship also represents a $2-million boost to the local economy.
■ The Port of Vancouver will welcome its 25 millionth cruise ship passenger.
Now that’s something to brag about. A lucky person will be the Port of Vancouver’s 25 millionth cruise ship passenger. To celebrate, the port will host a party at Canada Place in May. The passenger is expected on a Holland America cruise ship so if you’re scheduled to cruise this summer, that could
be you. ■ There are 14 cruise lines that visit Vancouver.
While there’s expected to be 241 vessel visits this summer, those visits are made by the same 32 ships from 14 cruise lines. The ships range from smaller, luxury expedition ships to large cruise ships headed to Alaska. Some of the cruise lines returning to Vancouver this year include Holland America, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent, Disney Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises.
■ The first “full house” is May 6.
On Sunday, May 6, all three ports at Canada Place will be occupied by cruise ships. It’s expected the Westerdam will be docked at Canada Place East, the Noordam will be at Canada Place North and the Zaandam will be located at Canada Place West. The last ship of the season is scheduled to be the Emerald Princess on Oct. 19.