By
Alex Smith |
Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) has released the draft schedule for the 2022 cruise ship season in Victoria, Canada, with Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess set to become the first cruise ship to call at any Canadian port in two years when she arrives on 6 April.
GVHA is currently expecting 350 ship calls scheduled to arrive at the Victoria Cruise Terminal over the seven-month season between March and October. The authority estimates that there will be 795,000 passengers throughout the year, close to the equivalent numbers from the 2019 season.
“We’ve worked hard and collaborated with government and industry to ensure that when ships return to Canada, and to Victoria, we will be ready to safely welcome passengers and crew,” said Ian Robertson, CEO of GVHA. “I look forward to being on the pier when that first ship arrives, and the first cruise passengers in two years disembark the ship to explore our beautiful city.”
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore, Princess Cruises’ Majestic Princess and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas will make their inaugural calls to Victoria in the 2022 season. Majestic Princess will be the first vessel to use the Pier B mooring dolphin extension that was completed in early 2020 with financial support from the Government of Canada’s Investing in Canada programme.
“Our government is excited to welcome the first cruise ship back in Canadian waters in two years to the Victoria Cruise Terminal, Canada’s busiest port of call and a strategic stop on the popular Alaskan cruise itinerary,” said Rob Fleming, minister of transportation and infrastructure for British Columbia. “Our government is working hard with our partners to support the safe restart of the CA$2.7 billion ($2.12 billion) industry in British Columbia.”
Health and safety measures will be determined by Transport Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada and will be in place for the next season. These will include mandatory vaccination requirements for passengers and crew and Covid-19 management plans and reporting protocols for all ships. Operations teams members have also been working with local partners to ensure the safe movement of passengers when they arrive, both in the terminal and in the community.
GVHA has also continued to work on sustainability initiatives during the two-year pause, with funding provided for the delivery of shore power. A survey conducted this year by market research company Insights West on behalf of GVHA and Cruise Lines International Association showed that 79 per cent of respondents view the impact of the industry in Victoria as positive and 57 per cent of residents surveyed describe the economic benefit of the industry as significant, up from 51 per cent in 2018.
“I am thrilled to see the cruise industry return to Victoria and to support our organisation’s focus on a sustainable approach to our business,” said Christine Willow, board chair for GVHA. “As chair, I am appreciative of the support from the many local stakeholders and partners across Greater Victoria as we’ve planned for the safe resumption of cruise in our region.”