It was a special end to a honeymoon for Michael Alastair Nace and Patricia Louise Guthrie.
The newlyweds from Santee, Calif., were singled out Friday afternoon as Odgen Point marked a significant milestone in its cruise ship industry.
The couple were together designated as the five-millionth passenger to land on Victoria soil since the massive ships started docking there in the early 1980s.
And the first-timers to Victoria were richly rewarded.
They got a red-carpet tour of the city as the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority partnered with Tourism Victoria on a tour package that included a trip to Butchart Gardens and Craigdarroch castle, a ride in an LA Limousine, a visit at the Fairmont Empress Hotel and an opportunity to explore the downtown.
They were also greeted by members of the Victoria AM Society in period costumes and a town crier.
“It’s an honour for us,” said Nace. “We’ve never been here before, but had heard lots of good things, like [Butchart] Gardens and the people and everything being very nice.”
Nace said he and Guthrie were married on July 27, but waited a month to take a dream honeymoon cruise to Alaska. They were on their way back to Seattle aboard the Norwegian Jewel when the cruise line told them about the special occasion and prize.
This season, Ogden Point is scheduled to host 210 cruise ship calls, bringing more than 464,000 passengers and almost 200,000 crew.
