Thousands of cruise ship passengers expected in Vancouver this weekend

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Port of Vancouver has issued its first congestion warning of the new cruise ship season, advising of 10,000 passengers arriving in Downtown Vancouver on Sunday.

Three ships are due to arrive and depart from the Canada Place terminal between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., adding to the usual weekend traffic and taxi challenges in the downtown core.

Other busy days this month are expected on the 9th, 12th and 13th, with next Sunday being the most challenging as four ships and more than 14,000 people pass through the port.

The port expects close to 895,000 passengers this season on 241 vessel visits — a seven per cent jump from last year. As of mid-December 2017, close to 843,000 visitors were recorded coming through on 236 ships.

In preparation of the crowds, the Port Authority, and Canada Place Operations, are asking passengers embarking on cruises to prepare for longer than usual wait times, and to not arrive at Canada Place ahead of their scheduled embarkation time unless otherwise told. This is being asked in order to avoid even further congestion while others disembark large vessels.

Extra staff and the VPD’s Traffic Authority will be on site to help manage traffic as well as pedestrians.

“The Vancouver cruise industry stimulates on average nearly $3 million in direct economic activity for each cruise ship that visits Canada Place,” the Authority says in a release.

The cruise industry contributed around $840 million to the national GDP in 2016, and created thousands of jobs across the country. More than $500 million in wages was generated.

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