With October here, Victoria’s busy cruise ship season is coming to an end.
Just a few ships remain to visit Ogden Point before the last vessel of 2025 leaves next week. This week’s schedule is modest compared to the lively summer months, which saw thousands of visitors each day.
Still, several large ships will arrive in the capital, bringing a final group of tourists to local shops and attractions.
Things start on Tuesday, October 7th, with the Ruby Princess coming from San Francisco around 2 p.m. The 3,080-passenger ship will stay in port for the evening before leaving for Vancouver at 11 p.m.
The Carnival Spirit was also set to arrive on Tuesday with over 2,100 guests, but it has cancelled its visit.
On Friday, October 10th, two major ships will light up the harbour in the evening. The Norwegian Bliss, carrying about 4,250 passengers, is expected to dock at 7:30 p.m. on the north side of Ogden Point.
It will be followed shortly by the Carnival Spirit, which returns for its rescheduled visit at 8 p.m. with another 2,100 visitors.
Saturday will be one of the last busy days of the season.
Holland America’s Noordam arrives from Nanaimo in the morning with nearly 1,900 guests and will stay until 9 p.m. that night.
Later that night, the Norwegian Encore, a 1,094-foot ship with close to 4,000 passengers, will make one of the final large calls of the season before heading south to Seattle.
Wrapping things up on Sunday, October 12th, the National Geographic Venture, a 100-passenger expedition vessel, will spend most of the day docked at the south berth.
In total, more than 15,000 cruise passengers are expected to visit Victoria this week.
This is a noticeable drop from the peaks of summer but still offers a valuable boost for local tourism before the waterfront settles into its quiet winter routine.
