Victoria will receive a record number of cruise ships and passengers next year, according to projections released Monday by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority.
About 235 cruise ship visits and 531,000 passengers are expected next year as “virtually every major cruise line is increasing their capacity,” the harbour authority said in a statement.
The previous record was 224 ship calls and 503,691 passengers, set in 2012.
The authority said next year should also see a five per cent increase in the average time a ship spends in port and a 23 per cent increase in daytime calls, which means there will be more passengers on city streets and more opportunities for cruise ships visitors spend money at attractions, restaurants and stores.
It is estimated passengers spend an average of $66 each during their time in Victoria.
“Victoria’s cruise industry provides an overall economic benefit to our region of close to $90 million per year. More ships and more passengers is a significant boost to our local economy,” said Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bruce Carter.
The last ship of the 2014 season, Holland America’s MS Zaandam, left Victoria at 1 p.m. Monday and capped a strong year in which Ogden Point received 206 ships carrying 465,000 passengers.
The harbour authority pointed to strong marks from Green Marine. The environmental certification program for the North American marine industry evaluated Ogden Point’s 2013 operations in four categories on a scale of one to five, with five representing “excellence and leadership.” Ogden Point scored a five in both spill prevention and community impacts, and a three in greenhouse gases and environmental leadership.
“Sustainability is a very important guiding principle for us,” said authority chief executive Curtis Grad. “Our definition of a healthy working terminal at Ogden Point is one that sustains a vibrant and viable local economy while working to ease impacts on the local community, water and air quality and marine ecosystems.”
But the James Bay Neighbourhood Association presented a different view in its Dirty Cruise Ship of the Year Awards.
The association said the Star Princess and Carnival Miracle created a sulfur dioxide level of 63 parts per billion. It also said that the Golden Princess, Westerdam and Zuiderdam had a combined sulfur dioxide reading of 131 parts per billion on May 9.
In a statement, the association said James Bay residents, where 37 per cent of the population is over 60 years of age, could be adversely affected by such levels.
