Vancouver Cruise Sector Charts Course for Record Season and Billion-Dollar

[By: Port of Vancouver]

The first cruise ship of 2026 will dock at Canada Place tomorrow, as Vancouver gets ready for a record cruise season that will support jobs and businesses throughout Canada. The Disney Wonder will stop at the Port of Vancouver as part of a repositioning trip on its way from Hawaii to San Diego, before returning to Vancouver in May for weekly sailings to Alaksa.

The visit marks the first of nearly 360 cruise calls expected in Vancouver this year and will see the vessel disembark and embark passengers, and re-stock before departing south. Most cruise ships arrive at the Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal between May and September as part of the Alaska cruise season.

With more than 1.4 million passengers expected to pass through Canada Place this cruise season, 2026 is on track to beat the previous record set in 2024 by 5%. It will also be a 19% increase compared to last year when Canada Place had 300 cruise ship calls and nearly 1.2 million passenger visits.  

“The Vancouver cruise sector and Canada Place cruise terminal continue to provide a powerful economic boost, as passengers visit shops, restaurants and local attractions, and cruise lines re-stock ships using Canadian suppliers,” said Cliff Stewart, Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

“We expect to see record cruise ship visits bring record numbers of visitors to Vancouver this year—injecting more than $1 billion into the economy. Collaboration and technology are going to play a crucial role delivering another successful local cruise season, as we look to welcome historic numbers of cruise tourists to our beautiful city.”

Technology is playing an increasingly important role helping Vancouver’s growing cruise sector to thrive, including enabling more passengers to board faster and reducing environmental impacts.  

• Cutting-edge facial biometrics for those boarding a cruise was introduced in 2024, dramatically improving the terminal’s ability to seamlessly handle high numbers of passengers. The technology has reduced the time it takes to pass through U.S. border control by up to 94%, with average transaction times dropping to less than 10 seconds compared to 2-3 minutes (via the passport kiosks previously used).
• The port authority is partnering with the federal government to expand shore power at Canada Place so that more visiting cruise ships can plug into B.C.’s low-emission, hydro-powered electrical grid while at berth. Work is scheduled to start later this year, with expanded shore power capability coming online next season and expected to prevent an additional 3,300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per cruise season (equivalent to taking 770 gasoline-powered cars off the road every year). More than 80% of cruise ship calls to Vancouver were shore power-enabled in 2025.

“Vancouver’s cruise sector is a powerful engine for tourism and trade, supporting thousands of jobs and generating significant economic activity across Canada,” said the Honourable Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport. “As another strong cruise season begins at the Port of Vancouver, our government is investing through Transport Canada’s Green Shipping Corridors Program to expand shore power at Canada Place reducing emissions while enabling continued growth. These investments strengthen our supply chains, support workers and local businesses, and help position Canada as a leader in sustainable marine transportation.”

Vancouver’s cruise volumes are being boosted this year by the arrival of two new cruise lines (Virgin Voyages, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection), while Disney Cruise Line will homeport a second ship (the Disney Magic) at Canada Place alongside its popular Disney Wonder.

“Our Alaskan cruises have long been a favorite among guests seeking adventure and unforgettable experiences,” said Jose Fernandez, Vice President, Port Strategy, Development and Operations, Disney Cruise Line. “We’re excited to continue working with the Port of Vancouver, and we look forward to welcoming more families to discover Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes this season aboard the Disney Wonder and, for the first time, the Disney Magic.”  

The record cruise season comes as Vancouver prepares to host seven FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches over the summer, with cruise passengers advised to book local accommodation early. Anyone planning to visit Vancouver over the summer should expect crowds in and around its downtown core.

“Vancouver will experience something of a perfect storm this summer when it comes to accommodation, with the height of a very busy cruise season overlapping with the city hosting FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches,” said Royce Chwin, President and CEO of Destination Vancouver. “We know countless cruise passengers love to enjoy our beautiful city before or after their sailing and encourage everyone to book early to secure their stay. We expect unusually strong demand for accommodation across the city throughout summer.”

The award-winning Canada Place cruise terminal was most recently a finalist for ‘Best Port in North America 2025’ in Europe’s Premios Cruceroadicto awards and was named ‘North America's Leading Cruise Port 2025’ in the World Travel Awards.

2026 cruise season facts and highlights

• The first ship of 2026, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder, will arrive at the Canada Place cruise terminal east berth at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 26. Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam will be the next cruise ship to visit Vancouver, arriving on April 11, with almost daily cruise ship visits from late April onwards as the Alaska season gets underway.
• The final cruise ship of 2026, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore, will depart Canada Place on October 13. Full details in the 2026 cruise schedule.    
• Cruise operations at the Port of Vancouver play a vital role supporting tourism and jobs in Vancouver and across Canada, with more than 17,000 jobs sustained nationally and an average of $3 million spent locally by cruise lines, passengers and crew every time a cruise ship calls the Canada Place terminal.  
• The following 5 ships will visit Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver for the first time in 2026: Azamara Pursuit, Disney Magic, Star Seeker, Brilliant Lady, Luminara.
• The Canada Place cruise terminal at the Port of Vancouver welcomes the following cruise lines in 2026: Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holland America Line, Hurtigruten Expeditions (HX), Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Peace Boat, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises, The World – Residences at Sea, Viking Ocean Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Windstar Cruises.
• Vancouver is a homeport for Alaska cruises, acting as the base for one-way and round-trip cruises through the Inside Passage. As a homeport, the Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal is where passengers embark and debark for their cruises, and where ships conduct their turnaround operations, such as restocking food and beverage, conducting maintenance and repairs, and refueling.
• Canada Place was the first cruise terminal in Canada and the third in the world to install shore power in 2009. Today, cruise and container terminals at the port both offer the technology, which has helped prevent more than 50,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) since 2009—equivalent to taking about 11,750 gasoline-powered cars off the road for a year.  
• Cruise lines consistently have some of the highest participation rates in the port authority-led ECHO Program (almost 90% in 2025), which coordinates voluntary ship slowdowns to protect at-risk whales in the Salish Sea.