Record cruise ship visits to Vancouver expected in 2023

Record cruise ship visits to the Port of Vancouver are expected in 2023, says the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. 

The first ship of the season, the Sapphire Princess, arrives in Vancouver on Wednesday (April 12). 

A total of 331 cruise ships visits are scheduled for the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver between April 12 and Oct. 24, an increase of approximately eight per cent compared to 2022.

"Vancouver continues to be one of the world's top cruise destinations and an award-winning homeport," said Mandy Chan, manager of cruise services at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. "After a two-year pause and an incredible restart in 2022, we are now gearing up for another big season for the Vancouver cruise sector as well as the local hospitality and tourism industries it supports."

A record 1.2 to 1.3 million passengers could travel through the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver in 2023—an increase of about 10 per cent over the record set in 2019 of 1.1 million. 

The port authority continues to focus on enhancing the passenger experience and this year will become the first homeport cruise terminal in Canada to offer pet relief stations for service animals. 

Created as part of a larger plan to improve the terminal's overall accessibility, these stations offer a welcoming area for service animals during their visit to the Port of Vancouver's cruise terminal.

Vancouver has been a homeport for Alaska cruises for more than 30 years, acting as the home 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 that visits Canada Place, generates nearly 7,000 jobs across Canada, $300 million in wages and contributes $840 million to national GDP.

2023 highlights

Highlights for 2023 cruise season include:

• Sapphire Princess, will arrive at the Canada Place cruise terminal east berth at 7:00 a.m. on April 12. The last cruise ship of the season, the Koningsdam, will depart Canada Place on Oct. 24. 
• Six ships will visit Canada Place for the first time in 2023: Brilliance of the Seas, Silver Whisper, Hanseatic Nature, Fridtjof Nansen, Seabourn Venture and Scenic Eclipse II
• Returning to the port are Holland America, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Cunard Line, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, Windstar, Viking Cruises, Victory Cruise Lines, Hurtigruten, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Silversea Cruises, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours and Oceania Cruises.
• Cruise returned to the Port of Vancouver on April 10, 2022, with the inaugural visit of the Holland America Line ship Koningsdam, following a two-year pause due to pandemic restrictions. There were 307 cruise ship visits and 810,090 passengers last year.

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