Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine Blog

CANADA STEALS THE LIMELIGHT FROM MEXICAN PORTS-OF-CALL

Cruise lines, keeping a watchful eye on the swine-flu in Mexico, are scrambling to find alternate itineraries for their passengers – and some Canadian ports are the flavour of the month, particularly those on Vancouver Island.

Victoria, the beautiful capital of British Columbia, this week found itself playing host to some 8,000 unexpected visitors as Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International rerouted its cruises from ports in Mexico.

The Carnival Splendor and Mariner of the Seas are now making regular stops in San Francisco, Seattle and Victoria and the windfall has brought a sparkle to the eyes of Victoria businessmen .... this summer season they’re rolling out the red carpet for up to 470,000 cruise passengers plus some 180,000 crew members.

Meanwhile, Nanaimo, a major ferry port midway on Vancouver Island’s mid-east coast is a Johnny-come-lately to the cruise scene ... in April the Spirit of Endeavor pocket cruise ship docked in Nanaimo's harbour.

But this is small-fry stuff and the cruise industry told Nanaimo that if it hankered after bigger fry then it needed a new facility where the ships could tie up so that passengers could walk ashore.

So an $18.5-million port cruise facility is now on the drawing board.

And at the weekend, the Holland America cruise ship Statendam visited Port Alberni on the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island where the big tour attraction was the steam-train trip to McLean Mill. Port Alberni is hoping to attract more ships and tourist dollars to the west coast.

Vancouver is of course already a major player as the hub of the Alaska cruise season.