The final ship of the Port of Vancouver’s 2026 cruise season arrives at Canada Place on Monday, October 12, with Norwegian Encore bringing a record-setting year to an end.
Passenger and cruise ship visits to the award-winning Canada Place terminal at the Port of Vancouver both surged almost 20% this year, with 1.4 million passenger visits and 358 cruise ship calls between February and October.
“We are thrilled to celebrate another successful cruise season, with more than $1 billion injected into the local economy as cruise lines and passengers increasingly make Vancouver a core part of their Alaska adventure,” said Jeff Scott, Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
“Vancouver’s cruise sector continues to thrive as an economic engine that drives local tourism, brings countless visitors to our beautiful city, and supports businesses and jobs across the region thanks to the hard work and dedication of all those involved. I want to acknowledge the significant collaboration required to deliver a growing and sustainable local cruise sector, from our cruise, municipal, government and destination partners to longshore workers and local tourism operators.”
Looking towards next cruise season, work to expand shore power capacity at Canada Place is scheduled to start in coming months and will enable more visiting cruise ships to plug in to B.C.’s low-carbon electrical grid while at berth. The expanded shore power is expected to prevent an additional 3,300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each cruise season, the equivalent to removing 770 gasoline-powered cars from the road every year.
The shore power expansion comes alongside other initiatives at Canada Place to ensure the cruise terminal can sustainably handle growing passenger and ship volumes. Cutting-edge facial biometric processing technology has significantly cut passenger embarkation times, while new elevators at key arrival locations will soon help passengers seamlessly navigate the terminal.
Average embarkation times for passengers boarding a cruise ship in Vancouver has shrunk to under 30 minutes since the introduction of facial biometric scanning in 2024.
“Managing Canada Place through a record cruise season has demonstrated what can be accomplished when everyone works together,” said Elise Ferguson, Vice President of Cruise Operations at Canada Place for SSA Marine, which manages the day-to-day terminal operations on the port authority’s behalf.
“I’m incredibly proud of the safe, efficient and welcoming experience we delivered for guests. No one stands alone in that success—it reflects the incredible collaboration of SSA Marine, cruise lines, ILWU workforce, government agencies and the port authority.”
The latest Cruise Passenger Survey, conducted by the Pacific Rim Cruise Association, found that beyond the economic benefits generated by cruise passengers flying through Vancouver International Airport, spending additional time in Vancouver before or after a cruise has become an increasingly important part of many traveller's itineraries:
– 76% of cruise passengers now spend time locally before or after their cruise (up from 70% in 2023)
– Cruise passengers are spending an average of $1,144 each locally on hotels, restaurants, shopping, tours and local attractions, and more
– Cruise passengers are staying an average of 1.4 nights in Vancouver before or after their cruise, with passengers from outside North America spending an average of 2.6 nights in the city
“We are incredibly grateful for our continued partnership with the Port of Vancouver and congratulate the entire team on another successful cruise season,” said Marc Kazlauskas, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2027, when Norwegian Jade sails 7-night Alaska voyages from May through September, embarking and disembarking guests in Vancouver. Homeporting in this remarkable city gives our guests the freedom and flexibility to extend their vacation and immerse themselves in everything Vancouver has to offer, from its spectacular natural beauty to its vibrant culture and world-class attractions.”
Preliminary bookings for 2027 point to another robust year, with strong numbers of cruise ships and passengers expected at the Port of Vancouver.
“Cruise passengers are making Vancouver part of their journey, not simply the place where it begins or ends,” said Royce Chwin, President and CEO of Destination Vancouver. “With three-quarters spending time in the city before or after their sailing, that activity reaches well beyond the waterfront into our hotels, restaurants, attractions, shops and neighbourhoods. This record season is a significant boost for Vancouver’s visitor economy and an opportunity to give more travellers reasons to stay longer and return.”
Photo credit: Teijo Niemela
