By
Rebecca Gibson |
Holland America Line’s Volendam made history on 23 May 2018 when she brought the 25 millionth cruise passenger to the Port of Vancouver in Canada.
To mark the milestone, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority hosted a celebration at Canada Place, which honoured both the 25 millionth passenger and the collaborative efforts companies in Vancouver’s cruise and tourism industries have made to grow cruise traffic.
“We are thrilled this year to welcome the 25 millionth cruise passenger through the Port of Vancouver and to celebrate this achievement with our destination, cruise line and industry partners,” said Robin Silvester, president and CEO of Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. “For more than 40 years, we’ve been welcoming cruise passengers to the beautiful city of Vancouver. This achievement is a testament to the joint efforts with our partners to promote Vancouver as a top cruise and tourism destination. We look forward to another successful year ahead.”
Port of Vancouver began welcoming cruise ships 40 years ago and Holland America was one of the first to visit Vancouver. The line was also the first to berth at the Canada Place cruise terminal on 28 April 1986.
“For more than 40 years, Holland America has been a partner with the Port of Vancouver in building a robust gateway cruise port and as an important contributor to the economic impact of this region,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America. “We congratulate the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on celebrating its 25 millionth cruise passenger and are honoured that one of our guests has been selected to represent such a monumental occasion.”
This year, Vancouver expects to handle 241 calls from 32 ships at Canada Place cruise terminal. This will include inaugural visits from Windstar Cruises’ Star Legend and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, as well as a call from 4,000-guest Norwegian Bliss, which will be the largest cruise ship to berth in Vancouver to date. Meanwhile, Holland America, Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Crystal Cruises and Silversea Cruises will all continue to homeport vessels in Vancouver.
Collectively, these vessels will bring more than 895,000 passengers to Vancouver – a 7% rise from 2017. Each ship call will also generate an average of CAN$3 million for Vancouver’s local economy.
“Tourism is not only hugely beneficial to Vancouver’s economy through direct spending and job creation, it also has a positive impact on local residents through infrastructure development, and by supporting the viability of festivals, events, museums and attractions,” said Ty Speer, president and CEO of Tourism Vancouver. “The cruise industry has been drawing visitors to Vancouver from around the world for the past 40 years and has become a central pillar of our city’s visitor economy.”