The largest cruise ship to ever visit Vancouver is now docked at Canada Place (PHOTOS)

Sep 30 2018, 10:23 pm

During the early morning hours of Sunday, the Port of Vancouver quietly welcomed the largest cruise ship to ever visit the city.

The floating vacation resort, the Norwegian Bliss, sailed through the Lions Gate Bridge just before 3:30 am during a peak low tide in order to squeeze through the Lions Gate Bridge’s low 200-ft clearance.

Norwegian Bliss Vancouver

The Norwegian Bliss arriving in Vancouver during the early morning hours of September 30, 2018. (Mark Musni)

Norwegian Bliss Vancouver

The Norwegian Bliss arriving in Vancouver during the early morning hours of September 30, 2018. (Mark Musni)

It will be hard to miss; this brand new Norwegian Cruise Line vessel is now docked at the east berth – the longest berth – of Canada Place.

The Bliss will remain at the pier until 4 am Monday, the next peak low tide period that will allow the ship to safely pass under the bridge.

 

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Its current cruise itinerary is a six-day, one-way excursion from Vancouver to Los Angeles, with stops in Victoria and San Francisco. Since the Bliss’ maiden voyage on May 21, it has been sailing weekly round-trip itineraries to Alaska starting from its summer homeport of Seattle, with stops including Victoria.

The Bliss is now scheduled to start new weekly itineraries between Los Angeles and Mexico throughout October, before traveling to the Caribbean waters for the winter months. It will return to the Pacific Northwest in May 2019 for the Alaskan cruise season and return to Vancouver for one visit in September 2019.

Norwegian Bliss Vancouver

The Norwegian Bliss arriving in Vancouver during the early morning hours of September 30, 2018. (Mark Musni)

Completed in a German shipyard this past April, the USD$1-billion ship spans a length of 1,094 ft and has a gross tonnage of 168,028 tons, 20 passenger decks, and a capacity for 4,000 passengers and 2,100 crew.

It is currently the ninth largest cruise ship in the world, the second largest non-Royal Caribbean cruise ship in existence, and the largest cruise ship to ever visit BC.

Norwegian Bliss Vancouver

The Norwegian Bliss arriving in Vancouver during the early morning hours of September 30, 2018. (Mark Musni)

Norwegian Bliss Vancouver

The Norwegian Bliss arriving in Vancouver during the early morning hours of September 30, 2018. (Mark Musni)

Its features include a 1,000-ft-long, two-deck, Ferrari-themed electric go-kart race track on an outdoor deck, a large outdoor laser tag course, a massive water park with multi-storey, 360-ft-long, see-through slides that hover over the side the ship, and a new concept communal space – an oceanfront boardwalk lined with shops, restaurants, and bars.

 

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