By
Rebecca Gibson |
This article was first published in Spring/Summer 2018 issue of the International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Vancouver’s iconic Canada Place cruise terminal has been one of the main homeports for ships sailing Alaska cruises for more than 30 years. Boasting an award-winning and full-service cruise terminal, Vancouver is the only homeport offering one-way and roundtrip cruises through the scenic Inside Passage, a picturesque route that runs along the west coast of British Columbia.
Welcoming hundreds of thousands of passengers each season, Vancouver is a very popular destination for cruise travel, which continues to be an important and growing sector at the port. In 2017, the Port of Vancouver welcomed 842,928 passengers during 237 vessel calls. Another strong year is expected in 2018 with nearly 900,000 passengers set to arrive in Canada Place during a total of 241 calls. More than one million cruise passengers are expected to pass through Vancouver in 2019.
Ships of various sizes call at Canada Place, offering passengers the full spectrum of choice from mass market to luxury options. Among the attractions of Vancouver as a cruise port is that ships can sail one-way Alaska itineraries, with passengers flying to or from Anchorage, offering the so-called ‘full Alaska experience’.
A number of initiatives have been implemented to continue to improve the passenger flow and overall guest experience at the cruise terminal. These include an enhanced wayfinding and signage programme, the reconfiguration of terminal space to expand passenger processing areas, and a redesigned ground transportation area that enables better vehicle and pedestrian flows. Additional space will continue to be leased from the nearby Convention Centre during the cruise season to increase passenger embarkation space. In addition, gangways, camels and fendering systems will be upgraded for every berth in the next two years.
Each cruise vessel that visits Canada Place generates on average nearly CAN$3 million (US$2.4 million) in direct economic activity, and the 2016 cruise season directly contributed CAN$840 million (US$673 million) to national GDP. The industry also created nearly 7,000 jobs across Canada and CAN$300 million (US$240 million) in wages.