First cruise ship of season arrives at Vancouver’s Canada Place
Posted March 11, 2024 7:16 am.
Last Updated March 11, 2024 8:57 pm.
The Disney Wonder is heading into the west berth of Canada Place Monday, marking the first of more than 329 scheduled visits to Vancouver by cruise ships this season.
Early estimates by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority suggest the terminal could see more than 1,270,000 passengers file through between April and October which would beat 2023’s record year by about two per cent.
The goal, according to the port authority, is to solidify Vancouver as a premier homeport servicing the Alaska market.
“Cruise is an important part of Vancouver’s vibrant tourism sector that supports countless local hospitality and tourism businesses and jobs,” said Mandy Chan, manager of cruise services at the port authority.
“Every ship that comes brings just over $3 million into our economy. So, on those busy Sundays when we’ve got three ships docked at port here, that represents about $10 million in economic impact.”
Barry Penner, a lawyer with the Cruise Lines International Association, says cruises supported more than 17,000 jobs in B.C. and generated about $2.7 billion for the province’s economy in 2019 — their last full year of data.
“I think this year will be stronger than that,” he said.
The Disney Wonder is repositioning Monday, stopping in Vancouver and then San Diego, California, before coming back in May to start its regular Alaska run.
The next ship of the 2024 season will be the Norwegian Bliss arriving overnight on April 4.
With files from Kate Walker.
