Noordam visit today heralds last of the Big Ships for 2023 Cruise Season

The Noordam at the Prince Rupert Cruise Terminal this morning,
it's last call on the city for 2023 lasts until 4 PM today 

The cool air of the early morning period provided notice that Fall is here and as the sun began to peek over the mountains, the final days for the 2023 Cruise season began to to countdown. 

Today featuring a port call from the last of the larger ships that have called on Prince Rupert this year.

The Holland America ship Noordam pulled into port around 7AM, the day ahead one of exploration for a potential 1,924 visitors to the city.  

Today also makes for a doubleheader on the waterfront with the much smaller cruise ship L'Austral anchored just off of the Cow Bay Marina, though it is on station for a much shorter time on the day.

Those taking a walk along the Atlin Terminal  area this morning had 
a double vision experience with two cruise ships in view in the harbour

Once they depart, there will be but one day left on the 2023 calendar, that being October 10th, which is when the Seabourn Odyssey brings the curtain down on a very successful cruise season.

To give us an idea as to how fast the industry has grown in the bounce back from the COVID era shutdown, the August notes from the Prince Rupert Port Authority indicating a significant surge in visitors walking across the pathway to the Prince Rupert Cruise Terminal this summer, more than doubling the volume from 2022.

This year also saw new ventures launched to service that growing amount of visitors to the community; among them the Olde Tyme Trolley that has been a hit for the year.

Some local businesses have also embraced the cruise sector this year, one of which was Arabisk Mediterranean Cuisine. 

Management and staff at the local restaurant and lounge welcomed a recent tour from the vessel Odyssey to their Seal Cove location for one of their mixology Master Classes.

Initiatives such as that at Arabisk, should help build the Prince Rupert Brand for the 2024 season and those to come in the future.

More notes on the Cruise season for 2023 can be reviewed here.