Holland America’s Westerdam arrived at the Ogden Point cruise ship terminal on Wednesday to kick off the cruise season in Victoria, Canada, that will see more than 600,000 visitors come to the city as part of a 245-call season. 

“We’ve made some key changes to the operations here, to prepare for another successful season,” said Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) Director of Cruise Development, Lindsay Gaunt. “We’re looking forward to working with tourism and cruise operations partners across the region to provide a memorable experience.”

The 2018 cruise season is the first operating year for bus operator Pacific North West Transportation Services, a joint venture between CVS Tours and The Wilson’s Group, to provide a fleet of newer, greener, and cleaner buses to Ogden Point.

GVHA has also made a substantial investment in City of Victoria-approved wayfinding signage in James Bay for the close to 30 per cent of cruise passengers who leave the terminal on foot.

Among the highlights this year, Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Norwegian Bliss will be arriving almost weekly in Victoria, one of the largest ships purpose-built for Alaska cruising, with more than 4,000 passengers. She makes her inaugural call to Victoria on June 1.

In 2018, Victoria will have ship calls from cruise lines including Princess Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Crystal Cruises, Seabourn, and Compagne du Ponant.