Cruise: Miami, Vancouver (BC), Seattle

Metro Vancouver’s Kicks Off 2015 Alaska Cruise Season

Port Metro Vancouver’s 2015 Alaska cruise season officially kicked off April 29 with the arrival of the Ruby Princess at Canada Place.The port authority is expecting another strong season, on par with previous years, with an estimated 800,154 passengers on 227 visits by 32 vessels.

Vancouver’s 2015 Cruise Schedule includes inaugural calls by six vessels – Ruby Princess (Princess Cruises), Jewel of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International), L'Austral (Compagnie Du Ponant), Le Boreal (Compagnie Du Ponant), and Silver Discoverer (Silversea).

Cruise activity began here earlier than normal this year, with Princess Cruise’s Grand Princess offering back-to-back trips between Vancouver and Hawaii beginning in March (Advisory, March 31, 2015). Six cruise ship calls with itineraries ranging from Hawaii to California are scheduled at Canada Place from October to December, after the conclusion of the Alaska season.

Cruise ships calling Vancouver are able to connect to shore power, allowing them to shut down engines and plug into BC Hydro’s electrical grid while at dock. Canada Place cruise terminal offers three shore power connection points. According to the port authority, shore power since its inception in Vancouver in 2009 has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 11,000 metric tons.

Work continues in 2015 to improve efficiency and optimize the passenger experience at Canada Place. Improvements will include the addition of two new escalators and an elevator, as well as additional check-in and embarkation space at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

The Vancouver cruise industry stimulates more than C$2 million in economic activity for each vessel that calls at Canada Place. This results in approximately 283,000 nights of hotel stays in the city and more than 440,000 around the province, generating some 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, C$220 million in wages, and tax revenues for municipal, provincial and federal governments.

2015 Cruise Season Embarks at the Port of Seattle

The May 2 docking of Holland America’s Westerdam signaled the start of the 2015 cruise season at the Port of Seattle. This year the port is expecting 192 ship calls and an estimated 895,055 revenue passengers at its Smith Cove and Bell Street Pier cruise facilities.

"The awe-inspiring majesty of Alaska is one of the most anticipated cruise vacations of the year for our Carnival Corporation brands," said Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation. Three of the corporation’s cruise brands – Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America and Princess Cruises – homeport vessels in Seattle for the Alaska cruising season. "In fact," said Mr. Donald, "by popular demand, the Holland America Line has added a third ship homeporting out of Seattle this season, and two ships from its sister brand, Princess Cruises, will sail from Seattle with more passenger capacity."

Highlights of this year’s schedule:

Carnival Cruise Lines: 7-day Alaska cruises on the Carnival Legend departing Tuesdays from Pier 91.
Celebrity Cruises: 7-day Alaska cruises on the Celebrity Solstice departing Fridays from Pier 91.
Holland America Line: 7-day cruises from Seattle to Alaska on the Amsterdam and the Westerdam, departing Saturdays and Sundays from Pier 91. The Statendam offers 14-day sailings departing on Mondays, from Pier 91.
Norwegian Cruise Line: 7-day cruises from Seattle to Alaska on the Norwegian Jewel and the Norwegian Pearl. Sailings depart Saturdays and Sundays from Pier 66.
Oceania Cruises: Various itineraries on the Oceania Regatta departing from Pier 66.
Princess Cruises: 7-day cruises from Seattle to Alaska on the Crown Princess and Ruby Princess. Sailings depart Saturdays and Sundays from Pier 91.
Royal Caribbean: 7-day cruises to Alaska on the Rhapsody of the Seas departing from Pier 91 every Friday.

All cruise ships that homeport in Seattle use either low-sulfur fuel or plug into shore side electrical power while docked. Smith Cove Cruise Terminal can provide shore power for two ships at once, eliminating the need to run engines while at berth. A Memorandum of Understanding between The Port of Seattle, the Washington Department of Ecology and the Northwest and Canada Cruiseship Association sets strong standards exceeding federal requirements for the treatment of waste discharges from cruise ships operating in Washington waters.

According to the port, Seattle’s cruise business is responsible for more than 3,600 jobs, $441 million in annual business revenue, and $17.2 million annually in state and local tax revenues.