BC Cruise Ship Industry

[craneSpotter]

Originally Posted by aastra

I'm not sure "relatively small" is the right phrase here, compared to places like Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, etc. In those place the ships are bigger than the cities/towns themselves.

I was just really talking of Victoria relative to Seattle and Vancouver - it must be nuts in those places if more than just one ship stops at a time.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

I was just really talking of Victoria relative to Seattle and Vancouver - it must be nuts in those places if more than just one ship stops at a time.

I made the mistake of being in Skagway when 4 ships were in. Lets just say, I hate people. Victoria not as bad. because you can get people away to other off site locations. but the popular tourist attractions are off my list those days.

[craneSpotter]

(Victoria) Harbour authority gets 5 years for shore power, new master plan

FEBRUARY 18, 2020 Times-Colonist
https://www.timescolonist.com/busine...lan-1.24078445

Council has voted to give the harbour authority until the end of 2025 to develop the plan, while also requiring it to have installed shore power for cruise ships, develop a transportation plan to deal with cruise passengers in James Bay and ensure a higher percentage of waste from cruise ships is diverted from the landfill...

...Instead of focusing on enacting that plan, the harbour authority will focus on shore power for cruise ships, working with the federal government on environmental remediation of Ogden Point’s deep-water port and improving other facilities.
The harbour authority estimates shore power would result in a 51 per cent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions from ships in port and 47 per cent reduction in all other emissions.

[craneSpotter]

Princess cruises is halting all sailings for 60 days. This will definitely affect the Vancouver/Victoria cruise industry - at least the start of the season.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/12/2...ips-two-months

However, many Americans in the 'cruise crowd' are seeing this as an upcoming bargain buying opportunity ... if the price is low enough and they are healthy, they see COVID19 as no more of a concern than all the other bugs that run rampant on ships form time to time - cheap holiday!

[aastra]

Methinks the only thing worse than the cruise industry and its many negatives (pollution, traffic, garbage, and nil benefit to local businesses) would be the suspension of the cruise industry and its many benefits (in particular, local businesses will suffer terribly).

If for any reason the cruise industry were to start de-emphasizing Victoria as a stop, I bet a donut the critics would then go after the cruise ship refurbishment industry in Esquimalt (which most Victorians -- including the critics -- don't seem to be aware of).

[craneSpotter]

Ouch - this will kill some of those summer jobs..about 300,000 fewer passengers will dock this season.

More than 120 cruise ship visits to Victoria cancelled

https://www.timescolonist.com/covid-...led-1.24097276

Robertson said the cruise ship season provides about 1,000 local jobs, with many small businesses, artisans, entertainers and tour guides counting on tourists from cruise ships.

The cruise industry is worth about $3 billion annually to Canada's economy, with two-thirds of that generated on the West Coast, he added.

[aastra]

Lest we forget, the vocal cruise critics in Victoria (and elsewhere) insist that the ships bring very little benefit to locals. So I guess we should settle that debate once and for all, right?

Right?

[scryer]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

Ouch - this will kill some of those summer jobs..about 300,000 fewer passengers will dock this season.

More than 120 cruise ship visits to Victoria cancelled

https://www.timescolonist.com/covid-...led-1.24097276

This will kill all kinds of businesses.... not summer jobs. Just wait until May happens (assuming there is no update)

[jlousa]

In the long run this might not hurt Vancouver. There is a high probability that we will see the end of the Super cruiseship race and a return to smaller ships which won't have any issue passing under the Lionsgate

[craneSpotter]

Originally Posted by scryer

This will kill all kinds of businesses.... not summer jobs. Just wait until May happens (assuming there is no update)

I think some businesses (restaurants and tour companies) could falter this summer, but more due to the expected broad decline in tourism - at least from a Victoria perspective. Cruise-ship passengers are gravy - it is the worrying (expected) drop in overnight foreign visitors (big spenders) that is a much larger concern. It all depends on the length of the decline

Local Companies that hire (lots and lots) students for the summer tourist season will not be hiring much this spring. All those students will be looking for jobs elsewhere and may have to take on larger student loans next year..,.

Maybe an outside chance that US/Canadian visits will remain strong here as people stay closer to home? I think the US makes up >70% of Canada's total foreign visitors (leisure tourists).

[craneSpotter]

Despite coronavirus outbreaks, cruise ship bookings are up for 2021

https://qz.com/1830415/despite-coron...e-up-for-2021/

...Still, cruises to Asia and Alaska are up more than usual. Tours through the Caribbean are performing well, too. The only bookings that are underperforming are ones to the Mediterranean Sea, the analysts wrote.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

Despite coronavirus outbreaks, cruise ship bookings are up for 2021

https://qz.com/1830415/despite-coron...e-up-for-2021/

Probably helped by the large number of people rebooking for next year from this year.

[casper]

Originally Posted by craneSpotter

Despite coronavirus outbreaks, cruise ship bookings are up for 2021

https://qz.com/1830415/despite-coron...e-up-for-2021/

Given the cruise ship companies are being difficult with given out refunds if you have an existing cancelled booking you don't have much choice but to rebook.