For the 2023 season, Vancouver is anticipating a report 334 ship calls, most of that are homeported, based on Mandy Chan, supervisor of cruise companies for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
“This will likely be a 9 p.c improve over final yr,” she stated, “which suggests we might get greater than 1.3 million passengers. That will be a brand new report for us, assuming the ships sail full.
“We’re additionally anticipating a 33 p.c improve in three- and four-ship days,” she continued.
“We’re glad to see that the ships maintain coming. Vancouver is a beautiful vacation spot to go to earlier than or after an Alaska cruise; we’ve got environment friendly transportation between Canada Place Cruise Terminal and the airport; numerous resorts; fantastic eating places; and Alaska is a giant draw.
“We had no ships in 2020 and 2021; in the meantime, we laid the inspiration for his or her return with numerous good work with our tourism business companions and with our native, provincial and federal governments.
“We had a report variety of ships final yr, 306 calls in complete, which was a 6 p.c improve from 2019. Whereas we didn’t count on the ships to sail at full capability beginning up, we did find yourself with 815,000 passengers, representing 70 p.c of what full capability would have been.”
The port’s earlier greatest yr was in 2019 with 1.1 million passenger visits.
The 2022 season ran from April 10, with Holland America Line’s Koningsdam being the primary ship name, till November 2, with the final crusing of the Crown Princess.
With all the main operators within the Alaska market homeporting in Vancouver, the port additionally noticed a number of newcomers, together with luxurious and expedition ships.
Vancouver introduced just lately that it’s taking part in a undertaking together with Seattle, Juneau and a number of other cruise traces to discover the feasibility of making a “inexperienced hall” from Washington State to British Columbia and Alaska to scale back greenhouse gasoline emissions.
In 2022, almost 70 p.c of the ships calling in Vancouver had been shore energy enabled, and most plugged in, in comparison with 50 p.c in 2019. With three berths at Canada Place, two are outfitted with shore energy.
“We noticed roughly 24 p.c extra ships plug in final yr in comparison with 2019,” stated Chan.
Work additionally continues exploring a brand new cruise terminal to enhance Canada Place. The terminal is being thought of on the Fraser River, the place bigger ships wouldn’t need to deal with the Lions Gate Bridge, Chan defined.
“It’s thrilling to be again in enterprise once more with cruise, and I’m hopeful we are able to proceed to work with our cruise, tourism and authorities companions to convey innovation to this business to renew the work of constructing a profitable and sustainable future for cruising in Vancouver.”
Excerpt from Cruise Trade Information Quarterly Journal: Winter 2022-2023