It was a record season for cruises at the Port of Vancouver as the industry bounces back from the pandemic.
The final cruise ship of the 2023 season left Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver on Tuesday (Oct. 24, 2023).
The port estimated 1.25 million passengers and 332 ships visited the city this season – a new record for both. That included 15 of Canada Place’s 20 busiest days ever for cruise passengers, all in the past six months.
For passengers, it was a 54-per-cent increase compared to 2022. Cruise ship calls between April and October 2023 increased by nine per cent from the previous year.
Occupancy rates, which measure how full each visiting ship is, averaged 95 per cent for the season, with a peak of 96 per cent. Pre-pandemic rates ranged between 93 and 99 per cent, with 98 per cent in 2019.
The 2022 occupancy rate was 69 per cent.
This was the first full season without any COVID-19 restrictions after the gradual easing of federal travel restrictions in 2022.
Cruise ship visits returned to Vancouver in April 2022 after a two-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ MORE: Port of Vancouver anticipating record cruise ship visits and passengers for 2023