Put more vacation in your Alaska vacation
During the 2011 season, passengers on 199 sailings departed Vancouver to enjoy the splendor of the glaciers, the vast wilderness and fascinating culture of Alaska.
Port Metro Vancouver is the ideal homeport for one of the world's most popular cruises. Recently concluding a successful 2011 Vancouver-Alaska cruise season, Port Metro Vancouver posting a 15 per cent increase in passengers over 2010, welcoming 663,425 passengers on 27 different vessels over 199 cruise ship calls. The Port welcomed the Disney Wonder, who homeported in the city with 20 round trips during its inaugural Alaska season. Oceania Cruises’ Regatta also made its Vancouver homeport debut in 2011 and Crystal Cruises returned to Alaska with 10 Vancouver port calls.
During the 2012 Vancouver-Alaska cruise season, Port Metro Vancouver expects to host approximately 670,000 passengers on 191 ship calls, including Princess Cruise Line’s Sapphire Princess, which will return to homeport in Vancouver for 2012.
Vancouver is a perfect travel destination. Whether you visit pre-cruise or post-cruise, Vancouver will add more vacation to your Alaska vacation.
Learn more
Why choose a Vancouver-based cruise?
Ranked as a Top City in the Americas
Vancouver is ranked one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and the Economist’s Global Livability Survey. A vibrant and exciting city that is like no other, Vancouver is renowned for its blend of cultures, international cuisine, fabulous festivals, exciting nightlife and shopping, and attractions like Capilano Suspension Bridge, Stanley Park and Grouse Mountain. From the mountains that watch over the city to the pristine waterfront that skirts it, Vancouver is a natural wonder your guests will love.
World-class facilities and operations
The Port’s two cruise terminals, Canada Place and Ballantyne, offer passengers all the modern conveniences and services for a positive and safe cruise experience. The terminals’ facilities and services (baggage storage, parking, wheelchair/scooter rentals, accessible ground transfers and convenient shopping) are designed to enhance a traveller’s cruising experience. Port Metro Vancouver consistently receives high passenger satisfaction survey scores and top marks for user friendliness and luggage handling.
Port Metro Vancouver also recently launched the “Blue Circle Award for the EcoAction Program for Shipping”. The program offers financial incentives to cruise and shipping lines that reduce emissions of their oceangoing vessels. This award is reserved for only the highest emissions reduction achievements. The current cruise line recipients are Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
Easy to get here
The Port's two conveniently located cruise terminals are only 30 minutes from Vancouver International Airport (YVR) by car or taxi. Canada Place, Vancouver’s premier cruise facility, is in the city centre, near excellent hotels, shopping, dining and entertainment. Ballantyne, the Port’s second facility, is just minutes from Canada Place.
The terminals are close to public transportation, including a rapid transit line between downtown and Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The line runs every 4-6 minutes and it takes less than 30 minutes to get from the airport to the Port. There is also easy access to transcontinental railroad connections and to the Trans-Canada Highway and cross-border highway systems. In addition, Amtrak Cascades offers service into Vancouver from the U.S. twice daily.
The only Alaskan homeport offering one-way trips through the Inside Passage
Vancouver offers a variety of itineraries, including the choice of round-trips or one-way trips through the scenic Inside
Passage. The Inside Passage, which runs along the west coast of British Columbia, allows passengers to fully experience the glaciers, mountains, wildlife and culture of America's last frontier. The shorter travel distance to Alaska via the Inside Passage gives your guests more time to spend in Alaskan ports. The Inside Passage route also offers the unique option of an itinerary that calls at other British Columbian ports, such as Victoria, Nanaimo and Prince Rupert.
We care about our community and the environment
The Port is also a leader in sustainability conducting operations in a responsible and sustainable manner that safeguards and promotes continual protection of the environment. One area of focus is air quality through emissions reduction initiatives like shore power at Canada Place.
Shore power allows cruise ships to shut down their diesel engines and connect to a land-based electrical grid. In 2011, the second ‘eco-friendly’ cruise season, saw the Port welcome 35 shore power connections. The installation – the first of its kind in Canada – reduced 1,318 tonnes of greenhouse gases.