The final cruise ship visit to Ogden Point Cruise Terminal, Victoria BC will be on Sunday, October 14, marking the end to port’s record-breaking season.
Since April 11, 2018, GVHA (Greater Victoria Harbour Authority) has seen 260,000 crew and 640,000 passengers on 250 cruise ship calls. In 2018, there were 239,000 crew members and 600,000 passengers on 239 cruise ship visits.
The inaugural visit of the new NCL flagship, Norwegian Bliss, took place on June 1. According to Greater Victoria Harbour Authority, adding the Alaskan cruise resulted in around 1,500 more cruise passengers visiting Victoria Friday afternoons. GVHA said that the estimated economic contribution to the economy of the region from the cruises was US$130 million.
For 2019 season, the GVHA has planned to lengthen Pier B mooring dolphin, that will accommodate docking of Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas at the deep-water facility. The new cruise companies include Cunard and Azamara, returning after over 20 years.
Norwegian Cruise Lines is repositioning its Norwegian Joy, sister ship of Norwegian Bliss, on the Seattle-Alaska route next year, with a weekly visit scheduled for Saturdays between June and October.