Every year around the middle of May, the streets of downtown Vancouver suddenly appear busier and by the end of June you can barely find space on the sidewalks.
It’s cruise season and this year is supposed to be a record year with tourists flocking to Vancouver.
“We are seeing a 20 per cent growth this year,” said Carmen Ortega, manager of trade and development with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.
More than one million passengers are expected with 290 sailings.
If you’ve been watching the waters around Vancouver, you may have already noticed the changes.
The ships are getting bigger.
In April, the Norwegian Bliss and Joy – the largest cruise ships yet to arrive - sailed into port, each carrying nearly 4,000 passengers. They had to come in when the tide was low enough to get under the Lions Gate Bridge.
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But then in May, the mighty Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas took top spot for the largest ship to dock at Canada Place. Nearly 4,200 passengers, 18 decks and chock full of attractions.
“At a billion dollar investment, it’s pretty spectacular,” said Colin Price of Royal Caribbean International.
The ship has indoor bumper karts, a sky diving tube where you can experience what it’s like to jump out of a plane without actually doing it and a multi-use state-of-the-art high tech entertainment lounge called Two70.
“There’s so much entertainment on this ship,” said Price.
The rooms for entertainment and shows are grand and so is the impression as you step on board. It’s like Las Vegas on the seas but it also features lots of space to get away and find your solitude. It will be the largest ship sailing to Alaska.
However, there are some other interesting additions coming into port this year.
The Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth will be making the Alaska tour. It’s a beautifully designed art-deco ship that pays tribute to a bygone era.
The smaller Azamara ships that offer upscale cruising will be another addition this year, along with Viking Cruise lines.
And in September, the high-tech Norwegian made Hurtigruten Amundsen will make its maiden voyage out of Vancouver. It’s a hybrid ship, powered by an electric motor, that can sail quietly through the Alaska waters.
Changes have been made to the cruise terminal to accommodate more passengers that will see up to 16,000 on some days.
But with the bigger ships, and more coming, have we reached our capacity?
“We haven’t reached it yet as far as I know,” said Ortega.
Ortega says the cruise industry creates a direct economic benefit of nearly $2 billion to the local and regional economy - top that up with the money spent by tourists exploring our city.
Options are now being considered to allow for larger ships that may include building a new terminal elsewhere so that the Lions Gate Bridge no longer acts as an impediment to the bigger vessels.
"They want to come up to Alaska, they want to see it. They want to see what Vancouver has to offer as well,” added Price.
