Canada's Port of Vancouver welcomed the year's first cruise ship earlier this month, kicking off what is expected to be a record cruise season.
In total, 331 cruise ships visits are scheduled for the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver between April 12 and October 24, an increase of approximately 8% compared to 2022.
The first ship of the season, the Sapphire Princess, arrived at the port's Canada Place cruise terminal east berth on April 12, 2023, as the first of 331 cruise ship visits scheduled for the terminal throughthe season, an increase of approximately 8% compared to 2022. The last cruise ship of the season, the Koningsdam, will depart Canada Place on October 24.
“Vancouver continues to be one of the world’s top cruise destinations and an award-winning homeport,” said Mandy Chan, manager of cruise services at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency mandated to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver. “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 as well as the local hospitality and tourism industries it supports.”
Vancouver has been a homeport for Alaska cruises for more than 30 years, acting as the home base for one-way and round-trip cruises through the Inside Passage. As a homeport destination, the Vancouver cruise industry injects an average of almost $3 million into the local economy for each ship that visits Canada Place, generates nearly 7,000 jobs across Canada, $300 million in wages and contributes $840 million to national GDP.
A record 1.2 to 1.3 million passengers could travel through the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver in 2023—an increase of about 10% over the record set in 2019 of 1.1 million. The port authority continues to focus on enhancing the passenger experience and this year will become the first homeport cruise terminal in Canada to offer pet relief stations for service animals. Created as part of a larger plan to improve the terminal’s overall accessibility, these stations offer a welcoming area for service animals during their visit to the Port of Vancouver’s cruise terminal.
