Vancouver’s shore-power upgrade is overdue at a terminal this busy

Canada Place often has three or four cruise ships alongside, but only two can connect to shore power at once. That is an awkward limitation for a terminal expecting to finish its 2026 season with about 1.4 million passenger visits.

I’d put fixing that mismatch ahead of celebrating the next traffic record. About 80 percent of Vancouver’s annual cruise calls involve ships equipped to use shore power. The port has plenty of compatible ships arriving. Its ability to supply them is the constraint that needs attention.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority plans to begin construction on an expansion in the coming months, with completion scheduled for 2027. Two additional connection stations will bring the total to five and increase shore-power capacity by 35 percent.

The authority expects the expansion to avoid an additional 3,300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per season by allowing more ships to draw electricity from British Columbia’s grid while berthed. It is a practical improvement for a port preparing for another year of growth.

Meanwhile, Canada Place’s record 2026 season is expected to end with Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore making the final call on Monday, October 12. The ship is scheduled to depart at 2:30 a.m. on October 13.

The projected finish of about 1.4 million passenger visits and 358 calls represents increases of 18 percent and 19 percent, respectively, from approximately 1.2 million visits and 300 calls in 2025. It also exceeds the previous records set in 2024, when the port handled roughly 1.32 million passenger visits and 327 calls.

The spending case is stronger than the passenger tally alone

The port authority estimates that the season generated more than $1 billion for the local economy, with each cruise call contributing an average of $3 million in economic activity.

According to the Pacific Rim Cruise Association’s latest survey, 76 percent of passengers spent time in Vancouver before or after their sailing, up from 70 percent in 2023. Average local spending reached $1,144 per passenger across accommodation, dining, shopping, tours and attractions.

Passengers stayed an average of 1.4 nights before or after cruising. Those visiting from outside North America stayed longer, averaging 2.6 nights.

Those stays deserve attention. A homeport’s value is easier to understand when passengers are booking rooms and spending time in the city.

“Cruise passengers are making Vancouver part of their journey, not simply the place where it begins or ends,” said Royce Chwin, president and CEO of Destination Vancouver.

Most ships calling in Vancouver begin or end their Alaska itineraries there. That homeport role also brings business through vessel provisioning, fuel purchases and repairs between voyages. Canada Place has supported more than 10,000 sailings since 1986, completing 40 years of homeport operations this season.

More operators, and a bigger ship with a tidal restriction

Disney Wonder opened the season on February 26. Disney Magic made its first Vancouver visit and homeported alongside Disney Wonder throughout the season, expanding Disney Cruise Line’s seasonal deployment to two ships.

Inaugural calls by Brilliant Lady and Luminara brought the Vancouver debuts of Virgin Voyages and The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, respectively. July was the busiest month, with more than 290,000 passenger visits setting a new single-month record.

Princess Cruises’ Star Princess set a different record on September 27. At 177,882 gross tons, it became the largest vessel by gross tonnage to call at Canada Place, surpassing Norwegian Encore.

Its overnight arrival and departure were scheduled around low tide to allow passage beneath the Lions Gate Bridge. Bigger ships bring scheduling constraints as well as bigger numbers.

Another increase is expected in 2027

Chance McKee, senior trade development representative at the port authority, said the authority anticipates a further seven percent increase in both passenger visits and calls in 2027. Specific projected totals have not been released.

Disney Wonder and Disney Magic are scheduled to return for another two-ship season. Brilliant Lady and Luminara are also due back, with 10 Luminara calls already on the preliminary schedule.

The season is expected to open on March 24 with Europa and close on October 8 with Ovation of the Seas. From late April through early October, Canada Place is expected to receive a cruise ship on nearly every day.

Passenger-processing improvements are also planned, including new elevators at key arrival points. The port authority says average boarding times are now under 30 minutes following the introduction of facial biometric scanning in the terminal’s U.S. customs hall in 2024.

The shore-power project addresses a different operational limit. According to McKee, the three-berth terminal can accommodate up to four ships, while its current electrical setup serves only two simultaneously. No timing more specific than 2027 has been provided.

Not every shore-power-equipped vessel connects on every visit, either. More infrastructure is necessary, but actual use will determine the benefit. I’d like to see Vancouver give the number of eligible ships plugging in the same prominence it gives passenger growth. That is where this upgrade earns its keep.

See cruises departing Vancouver on Cruise Lookup.