By
Sean Dudley |
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Vancouver is one of the few global cities to have a port so close to its centre, with passengers able to disembark in Vancouver’s downtown harbour and immediately feel they are at the heart of what’s going on.
As well as its thriving metropolitan hub, Vancouver is located in a great position on Canada’s western coast, surrounded by interesting shorelines and rugged mountainous areas.
Carmen Ortega, manager of cruise services at Port of Vancouver, says that visitor numbers continue to reflect the wealth of offerings in both the city itself and the wider local region.
“We welcomed just under 827,000 passengers in 2016, on 228 calls,” she says. “The first cruise ship we ever received at our cruise terminal back in 1986 was Holland America Line’s Noordam, and then in 2016 we saw one of Holland America’s newest vessels, the Niuew Amsterdam, berthing here. It’s interesting to see how the size of the ships have evolved in those three decades.”
Port of Vancouver has seen steady growth in passenger numbers since 2010 and the positivity is set to continue into 2017, with Ortega forecasting approximately 851,000 passengers from 238 scheduled calls.
“Seabourn Sojourn will be homeporting in Vancouver for the first time this year,” Ortega says. “We’re also seeing a lot more overnight vessels. One example is Golden Princess, which will be overnighting with us on 1 July 2017 to coincide with the city’s celebrations for Canada’s 150th anniversary. Guests can visit the Canada Place cruise terminal at the port and enjoy a fantastic firework display.”
One of the biggest challenges faced by the port is accommodating the larger ships that visit, and the number of passengers they bring. Ortega says much of the port’s recent focus has been on improving the visitor experience.
“Over the past couple of years, we’ve developed the Canada Place Optimization Programme,” she explains. “This ties into our constant aim to develop our infrastructure in order to improve flows in and out of the facility.”
2016 was the first year that Port of Vancouver used automated passport control kiosks. “All of our passengers have to pre-clear US customs before they get on a vessel going to Alaska,” says Ortega. “The kiosks have really helped us in terms of expediting processes.”
“We generate over 280,000 hotel stays in Vancouver each year, and over 400,000 throughout the province of British Columbia,” adds Ortega. “We also work very closely with the City of Vancouver, and last year we did a traffic study together to look at extra vehicle and people traffic. We’re working together to make some short, medium and long-term improvements to improve the flow in both areas.”
Going forward, the Port of Vancouver will continue to work closely with its tourism partners to help promote Vancouver as an exciting destination and all the benefits it generates as a homeport. They include Tourism Vancouver, Destination British Columbia and Vancouver International Airport.