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Harbour authority sees busy cruise ship season

The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority welcomed 224 ships to Ogden Point this year, and that number is only expected to grow.

With another busy cruise ship season in the books, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority welcomed 224 ships to Ogden Point this year, and that number is only expected to grow in the coming years.

The harbour authority welcomed more than 550,000 passengers and 212,000 crew from 224 ships to Ogden Point this year.

At the beginning of the 2016 season, the Royal Caribbean International’s Explorer of the Seas made 21 daytime calls to Ogden Point, making it the largest cruise ship as a regular call on an Alaskan route.

Ian Robertson, CEO of the harbour authority, said they are incredibly proud to have welcomed so many visitors to Victoria and are anticipating an increase in ship calls next season.

“We’re anticipating an increase in ship calls for 2017, mostly as a result of repositioning cruises during the shoulder season,”  he said in a release.

“With these types of voyages, cruise lines may select any Canadian west coast port of call, and the fact that they’re choosing Victoria signals to our team and our member agencies that we are a preferred destination for cruise lines and their guests.”

The harbour authority estimates more than 240 ship calls in 2017.