Cruise ship countdown underway as first vessels set for end of May arrival

Standing ready for the 2018 season, the Northland Terminal dock
sits empty today with the first vessel set for arrival next Tuesday

The new walkway is ready for use and the clean up underway around the Northland Cruise Terminal as Prince Rupert's 2018 Cruise season prepares for launch next Tuesday.

The first of this years vessel calls takes place with the arrival of The Windstar Line's Star Legend and her 208 guests, which will slip into port in the early hours of Tuesday Morning with a 6 AM arrival at the Northland Cruise Terminal and the start of an eight hour visit to the city.

The Star Legend is Prince Rupert bound with its first port
call of the year set for next Tuesday, May 29
(photo from Windstar website)

The Windstar Line is making a return to the Alaska cruise scene after a twenty year absence and the arrival of the Cruise line vessels is gaining some significant attention from cruise industry publications who also are putting some of the focus on the ports of call for the ships this year.

Windstar back in Alaska after 20 year gap
Windstar Cruises Back in Alaska after 20 year Absence
Windstar Makes Triumphant return to Alaska with Expedition Program
Windstar debuts new Signature Expeditions Program, making anticipated arrival back to Alaska for the award-winning, small ship Cruise line

The Star Legend will be making five visits in total this year to Prince Rupert as it looks to regain a share of the lucrative Alaska Cruise industry.

The Windstar cruises feature what is called expedition cruising, offering unique experiences for their guests, something that should mesh nicely with the strategy that the organizers of Prince Rupert's Cruise Industry are looking to put in place as a positioning point for visits to the city and the region.

The New walkway between the Northland Terminal and the Atlin Terminal
is now open for pedestrians and awaits its first Cruise visitors next week

Two days after the Windstar has departed, the Oceania line makes its first port call in Prince Rupert for the year, with the arrival of the Regatta and 684 guests. 

The vessel arrives on Thursday May 31st at 11 AM with a nine hour visit to the region.

It will be the first of six calls for the Regatta at Northland this year for the line.

The Prince Rupert cruise season had been scheduled for a launch last week, however the first port call of the year for May 16 from the Royal Caribbean vessel Radiance of the Seas and its prospect of 2500 guests was cancelled, that after the charter cruise operators who had booked the vessel decided on a shift in their itinerary.

So far, there have been no additions made to the 21 listings for the 2018 Cruise calendar by the Port of Prince Rupert, with the final day for the 2018 season set for October 4th.

You can review more notes on the Cruise industry along the West Coast from our archive page here.

We also feature a look at the North Coast Tourism season outside of the cruise industry here, included in our archives of late, is this article from the Globe and Mail which proclaimed Prince Rupert as one of Canada's hidden get away destinations.

The full tourism archive can be found here.

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