Cruise ships are set to make a return to Nanaimo with two visits scheduled for the 2024 season. The first vessel, Seabourn Odyssey from Seabourn Cruises, is expected to dock on May 9th, marking the beginning of what Andrea Thomas, the Port of Nanaimo’s manager of cruise development, hopes will be a revitalized cruise shipping business in the coming years.
Thomas expressed her excitement about the return of cruise ships after the hiatus since 2019, seeing it as an opportunity to showcase Nanaimo's offerings to visitors. She emphasized Nanaimo's local attractions such as craft breweries and its strategic location as a base for excursions to destinations like wineries and Cathedral Grove.
Highlighting the importance of tourism expansion for communities, Thomas pointed out that cruise ships play a significant role in promoting destinations. She noted that a considerable proportion of cruise tourists explore the places they visit, increasing the potential for future tourism growth.
The focus initially will be on attracting smaller cruise vessels. Seabourn Odyssey accommodates ~450 passengers, while Oceania’s ship Regatta (set to arrive on August 26th) carries ~830 passengers. Thomas emphasized the advantage of hosting smaller luxury ships, which allows for a more personalized experience and better utilization of Nanaimo's resources compared to larger vessels.
Looking ahead, the port has already secured visits from 4 ships for the 2025 season and additional bookings for 2026. Thomas will be attending Seatrade Cruise Global, the world’s largest cruise ship trade conference, to further promote Nanaimo as a cruise destination and engage with cruise lines to attract more traffic to the area.