BURST
The Disney Wonder cruise ship docked at Canada Place on Thursday morning, kicking off what the Port of Vancouver expects to be a record-breaking season that will coincide with the city’s FIFA World Cup matches this summer.
More than 1.4 million passengers are expected to pass through the Canada Place cruise terminal in 2026, a five per cent increase over the previous record set in 2024. The Port of Vancouver is expecting nearly 360 cruise ship calls between now and October.
“Every cruise season, cruise lines , their passengers and their crew spend about $1 billion locally, just here in Vancouver,” said Chance McKee, senior account representative at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
That billion-dollar figure breaks down to roughly $3 million injected into the local economy every time a cruise ship ties up at Canada Place, with cruise lines spending around $660 million per season on provisioning, fuel and maintenance, while passengers spend an average of $450 each on hotels, restaurants, shopping and local experiences, according to McKee.
“It is a very significant economic impact,” McKee said.
John Ong, manager of MAKE Vancouver, a gift shop on Water Street in Gastown, said he is preparing for a very busy spring and summer.
He said his shop is not only expecting more passengers from the cruise ships this year, but a lot of foot traffic during the FIFA World Cup games, which begin in June, and during a four-day Bruno Mars concert in October.
“There’s a lot to look forward to,” said Ong. “We’re talking about a whole bunch of things. Cruise ships are one thing, but then we also have conventions. So there’s a whole lot of events that feed into the local business here.”
Ong said a record cruise ship season and the FIFA games will be a boon for Gastown business.
“We’re gearing up for sure. We’re getting ready.”
McKee said growth in the local cruise industry reflects Vancouver’s rising profile as a destination. A passenger survey conducted by the Port of Vancouver last season found that 70 per cent of cruise passengers stayed at least one night in Vancouver before or after their sailing, McKee said.
“Vancouver is not just an embark and debark location,” McKee said. “It’s actually an additional destination on their cruise itinerary.”
Cruise ships departing from Canada Place have exclusive access to the Inside Passage to Prince Rupert on their way to Alaska, offering a unique scenic route that isn’t available to vessels departing from Seattle or ports further south.
The number of passengers expected this season marks a 19 per cent increase from last year, when numbers fell slightly after one cruise line shifted its base south to Seattle, according to McKee.
That loss will be more than made up for this year by the arrival of two new cruise lines — Virgin Voyages and the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection — both calling in Vancouver for the first time. Disney Cruise Line is also adding a second vessel, the Disney Magic, to sail alongside its popular Disney Wonder out of Canada Place.
“We’re excited to continue working with the Port of Vancouver, and we look forward to welcoming more families to discover Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes this season aboard the Disney Wonder and, for the first time, the Disney Magic,” Jose Fernandez, Disney Cruise Line’s vice-president of port strategy, development and operations, said in a media release.
The boom comes as the city prepares to host seven FIFA World Cup matches, and Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver, is urging visitors to plan ahead.
“Vancouver will experience something of a perfect storm this summer when it comes to accommodation,” Chwin said in a statement, noting that the peak of cruise season will overlap directly with World Cup matches. He encouraged cruise passengers who plan to spend time in the city to book lodging early.
Elise Yurkowski, executive-director of the Gastown Business Improvement Society, said a record cruise season is welcome news for the neighbourhood’s 500-plus businesses.
“With the return of our Gastown Sunday Set car-free series, Gastown Thursday Nights, the Gastown Grand Prix, and a coordinated Gastown United approach for FIFA, the neighbourhood is already preparing for a major increase in foot traffic, visitor spending, and street-level vibrancy. We’re also seeing a wave of new businesses opening this spring and summer — from retail to hospitality — adding even more energy, creativity, and choice for visitors landing from the terminal,” she said in an email Thursday.
Yurkowski said cruise passengers are an important part of Gastown’s visitor economy, and with a record year ahead, “We’re anticipating a busier summer driven by both tourism and a robust slate of cultural programming.”
She said businesses are hiring, extending hours, and refreshing patios and storefronts.
The final cruise ship of the season, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore, is scheduled to depart Canada Place on Oct. 13.