Media/Industry Advisory - High Volume Weekend at Vancouver Cruise Ship
Terminals

VANCOUVER , Sept. 18 /CNW/ - Vancouver's two cruise ship terminals will be experiencing unusually high passenger volumes this Sunday and Monday due to the arrival in port of a number of large capacity cruise ships.

On September 20th approximately 14,000 disembarking and embarking passengers will be moving through the Canada Place and Ballantyne terminals, and a similar number is expected on the 21st.

The following Sunday, September 27th will also be extremely busy at Canada Place, when an estimated 6,300 passengers are expected to arrive and depart through the terminal.

The increased demand is due to the large number of independent travellers aboard cruise ships scheduled to depart Vancouver for repositioning cruises. Repositioning cruises occur at the beginning and end of the Alaska cruise season when cruise lines relocate ships from and to their southern winter itineraries.

As repositioning cruises tend to attract a larger number of independent travellers, who do not have prearranged transfers to and from the port, there is a corresponding increase in demand for taxi service. In order to minimize congestion, given the significant number passengers utilizing these facilities, Port Metro Vancouver is advising those coming to the terminals to make transportation arrangement in advance, and to consider alternative transportation such as the new Canada Line to YVR.

It is also particularly important that arriving passengers do not come to Canada Place cruise terminal prior to their scheduled embarkation time in order to avoid further congestion while disembarking passengers are leaving their ships.

Port Metro Vancouver asks for the cooperation of all those involved in order to minimize delays during to this particularly busy period.

For further information: Media contacts: Duncan Wilson, Director, Communications and Government Relations, Port Metro Vancouver, [phone], [email protected] or Michael Smithbower, Media/Communications Coordinator, Port Metro Vancouver, [phone], [email protected]