5 ships in Victoria, simultaneously

[cruisingrob21]

This is still a ways out (Spring of 24) but I was looking at other ships that may be in Victoria on May 10th, 2024.  I'll be on the Sapphire and I noticed that Victoria will host 4 other ships, concurrently docked, at the same time as the Sapphire.  If I recall, Victoria has 4 berths for large ships, and certainly there will be 5 large ships in port, and all overlapping between 7pm and 10pm - so will the Bliss or Eurodam be forced to tender or do you think my voyage on the Sapphire (4 day coastal) will get a port substitution closer to departure?  I've seen victoria handle smaller ships in addition to 4 large ships, and I've also seen them handle 2 ships at the same berth, separated by about an hour, but I haven't seen 5 large ships simultaneously.

 

 

10 May, 2024 Friday	Majestic Princess	11:00	23:00
10 May, 2024 Friday	Sapphire Princess	13:00	22:00
10 May, 2024 Friday	Discovery Princess	19:00	23:00
10 May, 2024 Friday	Norwegian Bliss	20:00	23:00
10 May, 2024 Friday	ms Eurodam	20:00	23:00

[cruiseryyc]

This is not going to happen - way too many ships, and people, in at the same time.  Its no wonder some Victorians are starting to dislike the cruise industry.

 

Obviously just a preliminary schedule for 2024.

 

[cruisingrob21]

2 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

This is not going to happen - way too many ships, and people, in at the same time.  Its no wonder some Victorians are starting to dislike the cruise industry.

 

Obviously just a preliminary schedule for 2024.

 

Appreciate the sanity check.  I'm guessing since the Sapphire is on a short coastal another port will be selected.

[em-sk]

On 1/22/2023 at 11:50 AM, cruisingrob21 said:

Appreciate the sanity check.  I'm guessing since the Sapphire is on a short coastal another port will be selected.

 

In Victoria I can't thing of anywhere where the cruise ship could dock.  For civilian docks you have Ogdon point (where the cruise ships normally dock) and a number of smaller docks.   They could tender.

 

The other large docks in Victoria are military or coast guard.

 

If they need another Canadian port close to that area that would be Vancouver (that is also busy) or Nanaimo.  Nanaimo has a purpose built cruise ship port facility, that NCL used it in years past.  However it is very rarely used today.  

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by em-sk

[cruisingrob21]

I'm hoping for Nanaimo.  I love Victoria, but I'd be curious to see Nanaimo.  The voyage ends in Vancouver the next day

[Heidi13]

On 1/25/2023 at 10:45 PM, em-sk said:

 

In Victoria I can't thing of anywhere where the cruise ship could dock.  For civilian docks you have Ogdon point (where the cruise ships normally dock) and a number of smaller docks.   They could tender.

 

The other large docks in Victoria are military or coast guard.

 

If they need another Canadian port close to that area that would be Vancouver (that is also busy) or Nanaimo.  Nanaimo has a purpose built cruise ship port facility, that NCL used it in years past.  However it is very rarely used today.  

 

 

Both piers at Ogden Point can handle 4 ships.

 

Not the best arrangement, but if the North Wall in Esquimalt is available, the 5th ship could go there. It isn't a DND berth, being operated by Public Works.

[em-sk]

11 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Both piers at Ogden Point can handle 4 ships.

 

Not the best arrangement, but if the North Wall in Esquimalt is available, the 5th ship could go there. It isn't a DND berth, being operated by Public Works.

 

I assumed that birth would have ships going into or out of drydock. Being the largest civilian dry dock on the west coast they have had cruise ships in and out at times. 

 

I guess it the timing worked they could reconfigure it for a cruise ship to discharge passengers.  It is in the middle of an active ship yard. I don't know.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by em-sk

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, em-sk said:

 

I assumed that birth would have ships going into or out of drydock. Being the largest civilian dry dock on the west coast they have had cruise ships in and out at times. 

 

I guess it the timing worked they could reconfigure it for a cruise ship to discharge passengers.  It is in the middle of an active ship yard. I don't know.

 

 

Yes, it is one of the berths used by the shipyards working out of the Graving Dock, which is why I noted if it was available. Should be long enough whereas the South Berth is definitely not long enough.

 

Would definitely require planning.

 

Can't think of anywhere else around Victoria that can handle a 1.000' cruise ship. Being anchored off Brotchie Ledge, tendering into Ogden Point can also be tough if the wind is blowing.

[cruisingrob21]

More and more I'm thinking that Princess (with another 2 ships in port that day on longer voyages) with either put the sapphire to Nanaimo, or force departure around 1800 to accommodate the Discovery Princess

[em-sk]

1 hour ago, cruisingrob21 said:

More and more I'm thinking that Princess (with another 2 ships in port that day on longer voyages) with either put the sapphire to Nanaimo, or force departure around 1800 to accommodate the Discovery Princess

 

This is the cruise ship facility in Nanaimo.  They have a nice building, connected to a pier designed for cruise ships  all the space for busses, etc.  Today it is also used a heliport for passenger flights to Vancouver.  

 

https://goo.gl/maps/mbXZSP57X84w6Ue86

 

Living on Vancouver Island, I get over to Vancouver on a regular basis.  I have ever been on cruise that docked there once and that was the NCL Jade or NCL Jewell (can't remember which one).  

 

When they have used it for cruise ships the harbour authority has run free shuttle buses into downtown Nanaimo since it is next to an industrial port, but they did also let people walk in/out if they stayed in the designated area.

 

The location Heidi13 suggested is this one.  It is possible as empty cruise ships have be serviced in that drydock.  But it is active shipyard.  I don't know.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/JRzz8vZ3pikj1ZtN6

 

 

 

[cruisingrob21]

I'm familiar with the graving dock area - there isn't really any place to stage charter buses OR have a Canadian customs stand (this will be the first Canadian port this ship visits).

 

I'd be happy to go to Nanaimo - I was scheduled on a voyage from San Francisco to Vancouver stopping in Astoria and Nanaimo in May of 2020.  That voyage obviously was cancelled due to the pandemic.  Nanaimo seems like an intriguing place, as does so much of Vancouver Island.  This last fall I sailed through the Seymour narrows and the "true" inside passage and that was a real treat.

[cruisingrob21]

Resurrecting this thread - Princess did just cancel the Sapphire's call to victoria on this voyage (May 7th, LA to Vancouver).  Unfortunately they did not substitute in Astoria or Nanaimo as alternate ports.  Part of my aspiration for this voyage was to go on the Sapphire again since the days of the original Grand class and similar sisters seems to be nearing an end, but now without a single port call I might be looking at another similar voyage.