The final cruise ship of the 2024 season, Norwegian Jewel, departed from Canada Place on October 29, marking the end of another record year for Vancouver’s cruise industry.
The Canada Place cruise terminal welcomed more than 1.32 million passengers and 327 ship visits in 2024, supporting businesses and jobs across the Lower Mainland and Canada to the tune of $1.1 billion. The season which began March 11 broke the previous record for passengers set last year by more than 80,000 (a 7% year-on-year increase).
“We want to thank everyone who helped 2024 be such a successful cruise season in Vancouver -- to have back-to-back record years run so smoothly is a huge accomplishment and testament to the dedication of those involved,” said Shri Madiwal, Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
Norwegian Jewel closed a record cruise season in Vancouver on October 29. (Photo Credit: Claudette Covey)
A new Economic Impact Study released by the port authority earlier this year found passengers, crew and cruise lines spend more than $1.1 billion locally each year, including passengers spending an average of $450 each on hotels, restaurants, shopping, tours and local attractions.
Meanwhile, cruise lines spend as much as $660 million a year on local goods and services, as Canada Place is a homeport for the Alaska market where cruise ships get re-stocked, re-fueled and maintained between trips.
“Cruise Lines International Association and our member lines thank the port authority and all our partners and suppliers for delivering another successful cruise season,” said Donna Spalding, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Senior Advisor.
“This year’s passenger counts reflect the strong demand for cruising and with more travellers choosing to sail from Vancouver, the economic benefit of cruise tourism is expanding further into the local community.”
David Herrera. (Photo via Norwegian Cruise Line)
David J. Herrera, President of Norwegian Cruise Line, praised the partnership with the port.
“The Port of Vancouver has been an incredible partner for many years, and we thank them for their continued support. Norwegian Jewel’s Alaska voyages to and from Vancouver provided our guests a wonderful opportunity to plan pre- and post-cruise stays in this beautiful city, allowing them to truly immerse themselves in the destination and plan an extended vacation.”
The busy 2024 cruise season saw Canada Place have six of its top-10 busiest days ever for passengers, including its second busiest ever on April 29 when almost 20,000 passengers passed through the terminal.
The port authority says it continues to collaborate with destination, government and cruise line partners to invest in the Canada Place terminal to enhance capacity, sustainability and passenger experience at the Port of Vancouver. This year, that included partnering with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to launch Canada’s first ever facial biometric scanning for cruise.
The new facial scanning technology has reduced the time it takes to pass through U.S. border control by up to 94%, with average transaction times dropping from 2-3 minutes with the passport kiosks previously used to about 10 seconds with the biometrics.
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