Vancouver reaching capacity!

A top official in the cruise industry has warned that Alaska super hub, Vancouver, is not going to be able to deal with the volume of tourists using the port and the start/end point of their cruise. As the start/end point of a large amount of Rocky Mountaineer tour, the city is integral to cruise and tour options combining an Alaska cruise and a trip through the Rockies.

Greg Wirtz, president of the Cruise Lines International Association in the North West and Canada, says Vancouver is lagging behind other cities, such as Seattle, that are investing heavily in their port facilities and space.

The Port of Vancouver shut down the Ballantyne Pier to cruise ships in 2014, leaving Canada Place as the city’s only remaining cruise terminal.

The closure has since caused congestion at Canada Place as the only cruise terminal, especially as Vancouver’s cruise passenger traffic grew from 600,000 passengers in 2010 to 827,000 passengers in 2016, a near 40% increase!

The average capacity of cruise ships has increased to 3,100 passengers, meaning compared to 2010 ships are carrying 38% more passengers.

“Canada Place was built for ships of a generation ago,” Wirtz said.

In May, port officials in Seattle unveiled a $30 million renovation at the Bell Street Cruise Terminal at Pier 66.

The expansion tripled the terminal’s square footage and was custom designed for the Norwegian Bliss, set to become the largest cruise ship on the West Coast in 2018.

The Port of Seattle and Norwegian Cruise Line each shelled out $15 million for the renovation.

Wirtz acknowledged the high cost of building a new facility but said tourism pours money back into Vancouver’s economy.

Each cruise ship stimulates more than $2 million in economic activity, according to the Port of Vancouver.

The Port of Vancouver says it’s mulling plans for a future facility and is in talks with tourism associations and governments..

The Explorer of the Seas ship from Royal Caribbean International has had to bypass Vancouver for Victoria because the ship is too big.

As a major gateway to Alaska cruises, I really hope they can plan something and get the port operating properly as soon as possible.