It's cruise season already, and this year, it's expected to break records.
The first ship of 2019 is scheduled to arrive at Vancouver's Canada Place terminal at 7 a.m. Friday, and sail on at noon. With 19 decks, the Emerald Princess can carry more than 4,200 guests and crew.
The vessel will be back in Vancouver on April 14 and 15, followed by the Celebrity Eclipse on April 17. More ships will come and go in the next few months, before the season ends with a stop by the Star Princess on Nov. 1.
- Check out the full Port of Vancouver cruise berth schedule
The arrival of the Emerald Princess will kick off what the Port of Vancouver believes will be a record-setting season in the city.
More than 1 million people on 290 ship visits are expected between March and November, representing a 21 per cent increase in passengers over last year. The number will be an all-time record for cruise passengers passing through Canada Place, the Port of Vancouver said in a statement Thursday.
The port authority said it's invested in a number of upgrades to prepare for the increase in visitors.
"We've re-designed the ground transportation area to improve passenger flow, reconfigured the terminal to expand passenger processing areas, and made a number of upgrades to all three ship berths," said Carmen Ortega of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
More than 40 ships from 24 cruise lines will make stops in Vancouver this year, including some that are new to the city.
Among the lines docking in Vancouver for the first time are Cunard Cruise Line, Viking Ocean Cruises, Azamara Cruises and Hurtigruten. There are also several lines bringing new ships to the city, including Ovation of the Sea, Windstar Legend, Eclipse, Norwegian Joy and Silver Muse.
Many of the returning cruise lines use Vancouver as a home port, where each cruise begins and ends.
Officials estimate that on average, the industry generates $3 million per ship that docks in Vancouver, and about 7,000 jobs across Canada.
