With the 2019 cruise season now complete, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) is preparing for the arrival of steel to build a 58-meter mooring extension at Ogden Point.
British Columbia's capital welcomed more than 1 million cruise passengers and crew during the 2019 season, according to the GVHA. In total, 709,042 cruise passengers and 294,956 crew members disembarked on Victoria's shores from 257 cruise ship visits.
While the GVHA was expecting a total of 264 ship calls this season, 7 were cancelled because of last-minute itinerary changes and adverse weather. But despite having fewer visits than expected, Victoria BC still saw more cruise passengers than the 700,000 visitors that the GVHA predicted.
The extension at Pier B is due to allow for larger ships to dock in Victoria BC and was originally scheduled for early 2019.
In December last year, the initial shipment of steel was lost at sea. The GVHA expects the new shipment of steel to be delivered within the next couple of weeks, with the pier extension due to be ready by the 2020 cruise season.
The loss of steel added ~USD 4 million to the project. Meanwhile, the GVHA is preparing for the upcoming 2020 cruise ship season, which is scheduled to begin on April 3, 2020, and finish on October 21, 2020. Next year, Victoria BC is expected to welcome 284 ship visits and roughly 770,000 cruise passengers.
While cruise passenger numbers continue to rise, earlier in October Victoria city council passed a controversial motion which could limit the number of ships that dock in Victoria BC each year due to environmental concerns.