2024 is shaping up to be a record year for the Port of Vancouver. With a scenic location in the heart of downtown Vancouver and unparalleled access to the pristine Inside Passage, it’s easy to see why the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver is consistently recognised as one of North America’s best homeports.
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the federal agency mandated with enabling trade – including cruise – through the Port of Vancouver, with SSA Marine (previously known as Ceres Terminals Canada) managing day-to-day cruise terminal operations on our behalf. Preparations are underway for what is likely to be another record season for the cruise sector in Vancouver, which officially kicked off on 11 March with the arrival of Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder.
A key focus for the port authority in 2024 is to continue our partnerships with cruise lines and other industry stakeholders to further embed sustainability into operations.
We have a long history of working in partnership with industry stakeholders to support more sustainable cruising. The Port became one of the first in the world to offer visiting cruise ships shore power in 2009 and, through the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation Program, has coordinated voluntary slowdowns for cruise ships that travel through the critical habitat of at-risk whales since 2017. In 2022, we joined a coalition committed to exploring the feasibility of creating the world’s first cruise-led green corridor between the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
The Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver is set for a record cruise season in 2024
These joint efforts are making a measurable difference, and participation by cruise lines and industry continues to grow. Cruise ships connecting to land-based electrical power at our shore power facilities has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Port of Vancouver by approximately 36,000 tonnes since 2009 – the equivalent of taking around 8,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road for one year. In 2023, almost 75 per cent of visiting cruise ships were shore power enabled.
The allure of an Alaska cruise is the natural beauty of the journey, and we know more can be done to create a sustainable cruise market while enabling its growth. We want to thank everyone for the collaborative progress made so far and look forward to continuing this important work in 2024.
Mandy Chan is manager of cruise services at Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
This article was first published in the Spring/Summer 2024 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe for FREE to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox.