Last cruise ship of 2016 to depart Canada Place today

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 19, 2016) - The final cruise ship set to sail during the 2016 season will depart from Vancouver today, marking the end of the 30^th consecutive cruise season at Canada Place terminal at the Port of Vancouver. The Star Princess was the first ship to kick off the 2016 season at the Port of Vancouver and is also the last of the season, scheduled to depart at 16:30 this afternoon, heading down the Pacific coast to Los Angeles.

Over the last 30 years, nearly 17.5 million passengers have embarked and disembarked at Canada Place cruise terminal in Vancouver's downtown harbour, stimulating economic activity in the city and region. Passenger volumes in 2016 increased by three per cent over 2015, mainly driven by the growth of Alaska itineraries departing from Vancouver. In 2016 around 830,000 passengers traveled on 228 calls by 36 different vessels ranging from mass market to luxury options.

"Vancouver continues to provide exceptional service to passengers as a homeport of choice for Alaska-bound cruises," said Peter Xotta, vice president of Planning and Operations at Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. "We continue to work with our industry partners to understand future cruise market needs and to plan for service and capacity requirements in Vancouver at Canada Place."

In 2016, Vancouver served 12 cruise lines, contributing to record tourism numbers in British Columbia this year and setting the stage for a strong 2017 season. Next year is also Canada's 150^th anniversary and Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver will be hosting an expanded summer line-up of free community events commemorating this milestone event.

The Vancouver cruise industry stimulates more than $2 million in economic activity for each vessel that calls at Canada Place. This results in approximately 283,000 hotel-night stays in Vancouver and more than 440,000 around the province, generating some 6,000 direct and indirect jobs, $220 million in wages, and tax revenues for municipal, provincial and federal governments.

More information:

• Celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary at Canada Place

• Photo: cruise ships at Canada Place

About Vancouver Fraser Port Authority:

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is responsible for the stewardship of federal port lands in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. The port authority manages the Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest port and third largest tonnage port in North America, and is the owner and operator of Canada Place. Located in a naturally beautiful setting on Canada's west coast, Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver is homeport to Vancouver-Alaska cruises. The port enables Canada's trade with more than 170 world economies, approximately $200 billion in goods in 2015, and generates an estimated 100,000 jobs, $6.1 billion in wages, and $9.7 billion in GDP. The port authority is accountable to the elected federal minister of transport and is responsible for the efficient and reliable movement of goods and passengers, integrating environmental, social and economic sustainability initiatives into all areas of port operations.