After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Port of Prince Rupert saw a 230% increase in cruise passenger volumes versus 2019 – the last time cruise ships operated in Canada, the port revealed in late October.
Between May 17 and Oct. 3, 2022, 40,998 cruise passengers transited through Prince Rupert, making it the busiest cruise season in over a decade, according to port data.
“The return of cruise tourism has significantly boosted the local economy, with approximately $3.5 million in direct consumer spending in the community, including more than $650,000 spent with local shore excursion providers,” the port said in a statement.
This season’s totals were also bolstered by visits from Ruby Princess, a cruise vessel with a capacity for more than 3,000 passengers. The vessel, which called on Prince Rupert 13 times this past season is the first in the Princess Cruises fleet to include Prince Rupert on its regular Alaska cruise itinerary.
“The 2022 cruise season was the ninth largest in Prince Rupert’s history and we are greatly encouraged by the strong return of the cruise tourism sector,” Prince Rupert Port Authority President and CEO Shaun Stevenson said. “Going forward, Prince Rupert is uniquely positioned within the Alaska cruise theatre with immense potential for growth, particularly in regard to developing new opportunities for Indigenous-led tourism and eco-tourism in our region.”