The Port of Vancouver in British Columbia has said that it’s poised to have its busiest cruise season on record this year with an estimated 331 cruise ships visits planned for the port’s Canada Place cruise terminal between April 12 and Oct. 24.
This means about 1.2 to 1.3 million passengers could come through the cruise terminals this year, a 10% jump over the record 1.1 million passengers set in 2019, the port said April 11.
Among the vessels scheduled to come to Canada Place this year are six ships visiting the cruise terminal for the first time: Brilliance of the Seas, Silver Whisper, Hanseatic Nature, Fridtjof Nansen, Seabourn Venture and Scenic Eclipse II.
“After a two-year pause and an incredible restart in 2022, we are now gearing up for another big season for the Vancouver cruise sector,” Vancouver Fraser Port Authority cruise services manager Mandy Chan said.
Meanwhile, the port is working on improving passenger experience. This year, the cruise terminal is offering pet relief stations for service animals in an effort to enhance accessibility.
Vancouver’s cruise industry accounts for nearly $3 million in local revenue, about 7,000 jobs in Canada, $300 million in wages and $840 million in national GDP, according to the port.