The Port of Vancouver has seen a record cruise ship visits in 2022 as cruise returned to Canada’s west coast following the ease of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Port of Vancouver welcomed a total of 306 cruise ship visits in 2022, which is a record-breaking number and a 6 percent increase compared to 2019, according to a press release.

“It’s been fantastic to see cruise ships and passengers back in town after the two-year pause through the height of the pandemic,” said Robin Silvester, president and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency responsible for the stewardship of federal port lands.

“This year’s cruise season was an impressive comeback story for a critical catalyst for the local tourism industry and it provided a much-needed boost for many regional tourism and hospitality businesses. I’d like to thank our cruise lines partners, the Canada Place services provider Ceres Terminals Canada, the Cruise Lines International Association and all those working throughout the cruise and tourism industry for their hard work and dedication supporting this year’s return, under the federal government’s health framework,” continued Silvester.

The last cruise ship of the 2022 season, the Crown Princess, departed from the Port of Vancouver on November 2, ending the comeback year for the local cruise industry after a two-year break due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Based on preliminary bookings, according to the port, 2023 there will be 334 cruise ship visits to the Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver.

 If the industry operates in line with normal capacities once again, Vancouver could have a record 1.3 million cruise passenger visits in 2023, the port said, in a statement.

Of note, in 2022, nearly 70 percent of cruise calls were shore power enabled, compared to 50 percent in 2019.