By
Alice Chambers |
The Port of Vancouver in Canada has begun its busiest cruise season to date with the arrival of Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess on 12 April 2023.
The port authority will receive a total of 331 cruise ships at its Canada Place cruise terminal and plans to close the 2023 season on 24 October with the departure of Holland America Line’s Koningsdam. The season will bring more than 1.2 million passengers to the terminal, a 10 per cent increase from the port’s record of 1.1 million passenger in 2019.
“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, which manages 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.
The port will receive maiden calls from Royal Caribbean International’s Brilliance of the Seas, Silversea Cruises’ Silver Whisper, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic Nature, Hurtigruten’s Fridtjof Nansen, Seabourn Venture from Seabourn, and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours’ Scenic Eclipse II.
Other cruise lines scheduled to call at the port include Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Cunard, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Viking Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
“As we prepare for another big season, I want to acknowledge the hard work of everyone who made Vancouver’s return to cruise such a success last year as well as recognise the planning and reparation that has gone into this year,” said Chan. “The Port of Vancouver’s cruise comeback story is a testament to the exceptional work and dedication that industry has led to adapt and renew the sector. I’d like to thank our cruise lines partners, the Canada Place cruise terminal services provider Ceres Terminals Canada, the Cruise Lines International Association, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, and everyone working throughout the cruise and tourism industries for their part in the safe and successful return of a treasured industry.”
The port is also launching pet relief stations for service animals as part of its larger plan to enhance the passenger experience. These stations are designed as welcoming areas for service animals to rest once ashore.