Victoria’s cruise season is officially underway, with the first ship of 2026 arriving last Friday and marking the return of thousands of visitors to the city.
The Nieuw Amsterdam was the first to dock this season, bringing an estimated 2,106 passengers as it made its way from Astoria to Vancouver.
While the season has now begun, the upcoming week will serve as a quieter start before cruise traffic ramps up later this month.
Only one cruise ship is scheduled to visit Victoria between April 13th and 19th.
The Norwegian Jade is expected to arrive on Saturday, April 18th from San Francisco at 11 a.m. before departing later that evening at 10:30 p.m. en route to Vancouver.
The vessel can carry approximately 2,882 passengers.
Although this week is relatively light, the cruise schedule quickly picks up heading into late April, including multiple-ship days and the arrival of some of the largest vessels in the fleet.
Several ships visiting Victoria this season will be making their first-ever stops in the city, including two cruise lines that have never docked in the city before.
The 2026 cruise season is shaping up to be one of the busiest on record, with 335 expected calls and passenger numbers projected to top one million, meaning ships will once again become a near-daily sight during the peak summer months.
