Vancouver expecting record-breaking cruise season

The first cruise ship of the season, the Disney Wonder, arrives in Vancouver on Monday, March 11—kicking off what is expected to be another record season for the industry locally.

There are 329 cruise ship visits currently scheduled for the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver between March 11 and October 29, 2024.

This could mean a record 1.27 million passengers would travel through the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver in 2024, about two per cent more than last year’s record.

A home port for Alaska

“We expect 2024 to be another strong season for the award-winning Canada Place cruise terminal, as we solidify Vancouver as a premier homeport servicing the popular Alaska market,” said Mandy Chan, manager of cruise services at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency mandated to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver. “Cruise is an important part of Vancouver’s vibrant tourism sector that supports countless local hospitality and tourism businesses and jobs. We look forward to working alongside our cruise line and industry partners to ensure another successful season.”

Cruise ships deployed during the winter in other parts of the world return to the West Coast in March and April to prepare for the Alaska season. On March 11, the Disney Wonder will embark passengers heading to San Diego before coming back in May to start its weekly itinerary from Vancouver to Alaska.

Vancouver has been a homeport for Alaska cruises for more than 30 years, acting as the base for one-way and round-trip cruises through the Inside Passage. As a homeport destination, the Vancouver cruise industry injects an average of almost $3 million into the local economy for each ship visit, supports nearly 7,000 jobs across Canada and $300 million in wages, and contributes $840 million to Canada’s GDP.

Highlights for 2024 cruise season

• The first ship of the season, the Disney Wonder, will arrive at the Canada Place cruise terminal west berth at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 2024. The next ship of the 2024 season will be the Norwegian Bliss arriving overnight on April 4. Full 2024 details are available in the cruise schedule.
• The last cruise ship of the season, the Norwegian Jewel, will depart Canada Place on Tuesday, October 29, 2024
• The following five ships will visit Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver in 2024 for the first time : Explora I, Silver Nova, Celebrity Edge, Pacific World, Hanseatic Spirit
• The Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver welcomes the following cruise lines in 2024: Celebrity Cruises, Crystael Cruises, Cunard, Disney Cruise, Explora Journeys, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holland America, Hurtigruten, Norwegian Cruise, NYK Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Peace Boat, Ponant, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises, Victoria Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises
• In 2023, nearly 75% of cruise calls were shore power-enabled, compared to 50% in 2019. Demand for shore power has steadily increased since 2009, when the Port of Vancouver became the first port in Canada and the third in the world to introduce shore power for cruise ships.