Vancouver’s cruise ship season expected to be a record-breaking one

Vancouver’s cruise ship season is underway and is expected to be a record-breaking one, according to the industry.

In July, 290,000 passengers are expected to hit the streets of Vancouver, with similar numbers expected in August.

“Each cruise ship call to the port of Vancouver injects about $3 million into our local economy, so when you’re looking at that comprehensively, it’s about a $1 billion economic impact to just our local economy here in Vancouver,” Chance McKee with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said.

The Alaska cruise market is growing in popularity and is a popular homeport.

At the Port of Vancouver, ships can refuel, restock and conduct maintenance work.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.

For passengers, it’s a prime location.

“Everything is downtown; it’s so wonderful to just be able to step off the ship and enjoy the beautiful city,” Theresa Bower, a Holland America passenger, said.

“It’s so clean and everybody is so friendly, the food is so good — I mean, what’s not to like?”

The average passenger spends more than $1,100 on hotels, restaurants, shops and local attractions.

Neighbouring Gastown is one of the most popular places to visit.

Owner of Cappelleria Bertacchi, Adi Bertacchi, said business can jump 60 per cent when a cruise ship is in town.

“The good thing is that this window is increasing, not just in numbers but in time,” he said.

“I remember at the beginning when we opened here more than 10 years ago, it was May to September.”

Strong cruise volumes and ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 festivities mean those planning to visit downtown Vancouver and Canada Place should plan for increased crowds and traffic, according to the Port of Vancouver.