Up to 56,000 cruise ship passengers expected each weekend in Vancouver this record season | Daily Hive

Up to 56,000 passengers expected in Vancouver every weekend during this record-breaking cruise ship season

Norwegian Bliss (left) and Eurodam (right) berthed at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal in downtown Vancouver on April 24, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

The 2026 cruise ship season at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver officially began in February with the arrival of the Disney Wonder, marking the start of what is expected to be a record-breaking year as the terminal celebrates 40 years of cruise operations.

While several ships have called at the terminal since that first arrival, each year the cruise season does not truly get underway until starting late April/early May — right now — when ship traffic begins to ramp up with very frequent arrivals.

This year’s cruise schedule will see ships arriving at the Canada Place almost every day from May 1 through Oct. 4, with multiple vessels docked on most days during that period.

In total, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) expects nearly 360 cruise ship visits in 2026 — a significant increase from 290 in 2019, 331 in 2023, 327 in 2024, and 301 in 2025.

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Importantly, for economic benefits, nearly all of these visits are homeport visits, meaning this is where cruise ship passengers begin and end their journeys — not merely a stopover visit for passengers. They support retail, restaurants, hotels, entertainment, and other businesses and services during their longer stay at the homeport city. This is also where cruise ships restock their supplies at the end of each itinerary, which mainly reach Alaska.

This increase in visits and the addition of ships serving Vancouver for the very first time are also reflected in the port authority’s forecast for an overall seasonal record volume of over 1.4 million passengers — surpassing the 2024 record of 1.32 million and up from 1.2 million in 2025.

The port authority shared today that between 40,000 and 50,000 passengers will move through the cruise ship terminal almost every single weekend — defined as the four-day period from Friday to Monday — during the peak season.

Furthermore, Canada Place’s busiest weekend ever in history is expected to be Sept. 18 to 21, when 56,000 passengers are expected — more than enough to fill all of the seats at BC Place Stadium. That historic weekend for cruise ship activity will see the arrival of the Celebrity Edge, Seabourn Encore, and Ovation of the Seas on Friday; Discovery Princess, Grand Princess, Oceania Riviera, and Koningsdam on Saturday; Celebrity Solstice, Serenade of the Seas, and Nieuw Amsterdam on Sunday; and Norwegian Jade, Luminara, and Disney Wonder on Monday.

In contrast, the busiest weekend of the 2025 season saw 47,000 passengers.

Furthermore, the busiest single day at Canada Place during the 2026 season is expected to be Saturday, Sept. 19, when approximately 20,000 passengers are projected to pass through the terminal—making it the third-busiest single day on record.

In terms of ship traffic, there will be 10 days when four cruise ships are scheduled to be in port at the same time: May 23; June 21; July 4, 5, 9, 15, 23, and 26; and Sept. 12 and 19. The busiest day of the season by number of ships will be July 25, when five ships are expected.

During the peak period from early May through the end of September, there will be 29 quieter days, including 25 days with just one ship in port and four days (in May and September) with no ships scheduled. There will also be 48 days with two ships at port, while the remaining days will see three or more ships. Some of the two-ship days may still be relatively busy for passenger traffic, as larger vessels on those dates would still bring significant passenger volumes.

On two dates — July 5 and July 26 — Viking Cruises vessels, the Viking Orion and Viking Venus, will be in Vancouver, but will not be berthed at the terminal. Instead, these relatively smaller ships will anchor in the middle of the harbour and use a process known as tendering, in which passengers are transported between the ship and shore by smaller boats, typically large lifeboats. While tendering is common in destinations around the world where docking facilities are limited or unavailable, it remains a rare occurrence in Vancouver, and is typically only used when Canada Place is at capacity. On both dates, all three berths will be fully used by other ships.

“Canada Place is without peer — for 40 years now our award-winning cruise terminal in picturesque downtown Vancouver has been a memorable part of countless cruise adventures to Alaska and beyond,” said Cliff Stewart, vice president of operations and supply chain at the VFPA.

“Vancouver’s cruise sector has thrived for 40 years thanks to the collaborative and pioneering spirit of so many, and in the process supported jobs and economic growth across our country. With the cruise terminal on track to experience five of its top 10 busiest weekends ever this summer, we look forward to working with our cruise partners to ensure Canada Place and Vancouver continue to play their part delivering unforgettable moments for visitors and economic benefits for Canadians.”

This year’s cruise ship season also coincides with an exceptional summer events season, defined by the 2026 FIFA World Cup. BC Place Stadium will host seven matches, including group stage matches on June 13, 18, 21, 24, and 26 and knockout matches on July 2 and 7. The port authority is advising all visitors to expect extra crowds in and around downtown Vancouver, and to book their overnight accommodations well in advance.

vancouver canada place cruise ship eurodam

Eurodam berthed at the Canada Place cruise ship terminal in downtown Vancouver on April 24, 2026. (Kenneth Chan)

During a press conference on Friday morning, VFPA commemorated the 40th anniversary of cruise ship operations at Canada Place with Holland America Line, which was the very first cruise line to use the terminal in April 1986, just a few weeks before the start of Expo ’86. Canada Place was completed in 1985, with the vast interior space that would later become the original wing of the Vancouver Convention Centre initially used as the Canada Pavilion for the World’s Fair.

VFPA trade development director Jane Banham shared that Holland America Line has traditionally accounted for a significant proportion of Vancouver’s cruise business, and this year will be no exception, with the cruise line expected to bring nearly 300,000 passengers to Canada Place or about one-fifth of 2026’s seasonal total.

This season, Holland America Line ships will make 70 visits to Canada Place.

“The [now-decommissioned] Noordam became the first cruise ship ever to dock at the brand-new shiny Canada Place cruise terminal. So in doing so, Holland America connected us to their long-standing Alaska Cruises to this new facility. And since that day, more than 30 million passengers have passed through Canada Place and the company Holden America has played a central role in that growth,” said Banham during the press conference at Canada Place, between the berthed ships of Norwegian Bliss and Holland America’s Eurodam.

The biggest new addition this season is the Disney Magic, which will be homeporting at Canada Place for the very first time — joining the local mainstay Disney Wonder, which has been serving Alaska itineraries from Vancouver each season for over a decade.

Disney Magic was built in 1997 and was the very first vessel of Disney Cruise Line. Disney Magic and Disney Wonder represent the Magic-class ships in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet, with Disney Wonder entering service in 1998.

Disney Cruise Line debuted its seasonal Alaska cruises from Canada Place in 2011 with Disney Wonder. Although the ship temporarily relocated to Seattle in 2012, it returned to Vancouver in 2013, drawn by Canada Place’s far superior passenger ratings.

With Disney Wonder and Disney Magic combined, Disney Cruise Line has effectively doubled its Vancouver capacity for the season. Disney Wonder will make 21 sailings from Canada Place this season, while Disney Magic will make 20 sailings. Disney Magic’s first-ever sailing from Vancouver will be on May 1.

Both the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic have also been confirmed to return in 2027.

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