Fewer cruise ships will sail into Victoria next year, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority said Thursday.
It expects 211 ships, carrying 466,000 passengers and 206,000 crew members, to make port in 2013. That's 13 fewer ship calls than this year and a decline of about 10,000 passengers, based on 100 per cent occupancy.
Curtis Grad, the harbour authority's president, said it's a modest dip after a banner season.
"You kind of have to take your breath after a year like we had," he said.
The authority projected 475,000 passengers this year, but actually handled more than 500,000. That's because a ship's capacity is based on double occupancy, which is often exceeded if children accompany their parents. Grad said the ships are getting larger, which moderates the impact of having fewer of them.
The actual number of cruise-ship passengers could reach 490,000 in 2013, he said.
"It's still going to be a good healthy, busy season, but just a few less ships."
Grad said the drop in ships is due to the Disney Wonder deciding to make Vancouver its home port after operating out of Seattle in 2012. Most of the ships that arrive in Victoria use Seattle as their home port, he said.
