Canada Place Prepares for 60,000 Cruise Passengers During World Cup

The Port of Vancouver is preparing Canada Place cruise terminal for about 60,000 cruise passengers during the FIFA World Cup 2026 period from June 11 to July 19, with terminal flow, embarkation and disembarkation identified as operational priorities in a June 3 cruise update. The update also sets out Canada Place facility changes, renewed voluntary vessel slowdowns for whale protection and partner measures tied to passenger information and cruise-call data.

The planning comes in a record cruise year for Vancouver: about 1.4 million passengers are expected on just under 360 calls, above the previous high of 1.32 million passengers and 327 calls in 2024. Canada Place is also in its 40th year of cruise operations as an Alaska cruise homeport.

Terminal changes for World Cup-season traffic

The terminal now has 10 additional data connection points. They expand passenger check-in locations beyond Hall C. The port authority is sending updated data-connection documentation to each cruise company for distribution to visiting ships’ IT teams and port agents.

Two new elevators are being installed between the passenger luggage drop-off on parking level 2 and the ground level. SSA Marine has also built a Power BI reporting interface that gives cruise lines on-demand access to cruise vessel call performance, after the tool was initially developed for reporting to the port authority.

Destination Vancouver has more than 200 volunteers supporting visitors this season, including at kiosks on the Stanley Park Seawall, at Junction Market and near Canada Place. Volunteers are also staffing the Information Desk at the terminal entrance and roaming City Host teams in busy areas across Vancouver.

Forty years of Canada Place cruise operations

Holland America Line’s Noordam was the first ship to call at Canada Place cruise terminal in April 1986. Eurodam arrived April 24 this year to open Holland America’s 40th season calling Vancouver.

Since Canada Place opened, more than 30 million passengers have passed through the downtown facility. Port estimates put the local economic effect of each call at about C$3 million, including passenger spending at hotels, restaurants, tours and shops; cruise lines also spend up to C$660 million annually on local goods and services.

Virgin Voyages joined Vancouver’s 2026 cruise lineup on May 11, when the 2,700-passenger Brilliant Lady made its maiden call at Canada Place as part of the brand’s first Alaska and West Coast season. "We are delighted to welcome Virgin Voyages to the Port of Vancouver as the newest member of our thriving cruise sector," said Jane Banham, director of trade development at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. The ship is scheduled to return regularly through the summer on Alaska and Pacific Northwest itineraries.

Whale-protection and sustainability measures

The port is again inviting cruise ships in Vancouver to take part in voluntary slowdowns intended to reduce commercial-vessel effects on at-risk whales in the Salish Sea. The measures are designed to cut underwater noise in areas used by endangered Southern Resident killer whales; a previous Port of Vancouver slowdown in Haro Strait found ambient underwater noise fell by nearly half during the trial period.

Separately, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises received Blue Circle Awards for environmental performance while homeporting at Canada Place. The awards, launched in 2009, cover participation in the port authority’s EcoAction and Energy Action programs, with recognition tied to air emissions, underwater noise and energy conservation.

"Those operating at the Port of Vancouver are showing that growing trade and environmental leadership can go hand in hand," said Peter Xotta, president and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

Princess received a Special Mention for adopting air lubrication systems and working with the port to measure their effect on underwater-radiated noise. Air lubrication systems reduce hydrodynamic resistance by using air beneath the hull, with reported efficiency gains typically ranging from about 3% to 15% depending on vessel and operating conditions. Princess has been recognized 16 times, Holland America 12 times, and Disney has received an award every year it has homeported in Vancouver.

What’s ahead this season

Upcoming schedule peaks include Canada Place’s first five-ship day since 2019 on July 25 and a nearly 20,000-passenger day on September 19, forecast as the port’s third-busiest day. Norwegian Encore is scheduled as the final cruise call of the season on October 13.