Port receives a boost with addition of regular calls from Ruby Princess
PRINCE RUPERT – The Port of Prince Rupert is adding 16 new vessel calls to its upcoming cruise schedule that has the potential to bring upwards of 46,000 additional cruise passengers – about a 330 per cent increase from the previously published schedule – to the community this spring and summer.
The Ruby Princess, operated by Princess Cruises, will make her inaugural call on Prince Rupert on Tuesday May 17th and will include the Port as a regular stop on the ship’s Alaska itinerary approximately every 10 days. With a capacity of 4,180 passengers and crew, the Ruby Princess will significantly increase cruise visitor and vessel call volumes to Prince Rupert this year. The Port of Prince Rupert now expects 43 cruise vessel calls and approximately 60,622 passengers in total to visit Prince Rupert between now and September 30th.
“The exciting late addition of the Ruby Princess to the Port of Prince Rupert’s cruise schedule will give a significant boost to the local tourism industry in the coming months, and we are working with local operators and other community stakeholders to prepare for this large influx of visitors,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority. “We appreciate the efforts being made by everyone to accommodate this schedule change and to welcome visitors back to the area as we ramp up for the return of cruise tourism in the community.”
Prince Rupert serves as a strategic Canadian port-of-call within cruise vessel itineraries as part of the Alaskan cruise market. Taking the latest 2022 projections into account, Alaska could see as many as 1.57 million passengers this year. With strong prospects for recovery and growth within this market, Prince Rupert has the opportunity to attract significantly more visitors than it has in recent years.
The Prince Rupert Port Authority (PRPA) has collaborated with cruise operators, the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, the Government of Canada, and a variety of stakeholders to ensure the safe resumption of cruise activity at all Canadian ports. The industry has committed to a comprehensive set of enhanced safety protocols both aboard cruise vessels and throughout the ship-to-shore passenger experience; these measures specifically include vaccination mandates for crews and passengers, enhanced hygiene practices, and passenger screening and testing requirements based on the best available science.
In addition to the Ruby Princess, PRPA has also added another vessel call from Windstar’s Star Breeze on September 7th to its roster.
To view the updated cruise schedule, click here. To view a copy of the previous news release related to the 2022 cruise season, click here. Note that the schedule provided is subject to vessel itinerary changes – please check online for updates.
