Vancouver Is Perfect Port For Cruise360

A key point in favour of Vancouver as a location for the CLIA Cruise360 conference and trade show is the up-close view of the cruise giants docked literally within steps of the event, reports western editor, Ted Davis in this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press.

Immediately adjacent to the Vancouver Convention Centre are the Canada Place berths, where cruise ships depart and return from their Alaska itineraries on a daily basis.

It could not be a more ideal setting.

Cruise ship capacity on routes to Alaska from Vancouver and Seattle is up for 2016, as some cruise lines opt to add bigger ships – instead of more ships – to their seasonal schedules.

For instance, Holland America Line is bringing the Nieuw Amsterdam to the port of Vancouver this summer. It has a capacity of 2,100 passengers, and replaces the 1,900-passenger Oosterdam.

The port of Seattle will welcome Princess giants the Crown Princess and Ruby Princess, each with staterooms for nearly 3,100 passengers. Also sailing from Seattle will be the Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, which has a capacity of 3,100 passengers. It will replace the 2,100-passenger Jewel of the Seas.

This growth in cruise ship capacity is building anticipation for a jump in arrivals to Alaska, says the Cruise Lines International Association Alaska. It says the final tally of 2016 cruise passengers is expected to be up about 2% over 2015. Cruise ship arrivals account for about half of all visitors to the state.

“We anticipate exceeding the million-passenger mark in our cruise Alaska pipeline in 2016,” said John Binkley, president of CLIA Alaska.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press by clicking here.