18 cruise ships visits to Victoria this week will include four new vessels

Cruise season is quickly ramping up in Victoria, with a busy week ahead at the Inner Harbour.

A total of 18 cruise ship visits are scheduled between Monday and Sunday, and are estimated to bring in just over 51,000 passengers to the city this week alone.

The lineup also includes four ships making their first-ever visits to Victoria, adding even more excitement as the season continues to build.

Since the season kicked off in mid-April, 14 cruise ship visits have already been recorded, bringing an estimated 34,000 passengers to the city so far.

And if this week is any indication, things are only getting busier.

Here’s a look at every cruise ship scheduled to arrive in Victoria this week:

Monday, May 4th

• Carnival Spirit — arriving at 8 p.m., departing 11:59 p.m. (2,124 passengers)

Sailing from Ketchikan to Seattle, this mid-sized ship is a familiar visitor to Victoria and kicks off the week with an evening stop.

Tuesday, May 5th

• Grand Princess — 12 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (2,606 passengers)
• Discovery Princess — 12 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. (3,660 passengers)
• Zaandam — 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. (1,432 passengers)

A busy triple-ship day, with Princess Cruises dominating the harbour. Discovery Princess is one of the larger vessels visiting this week, while Zaandam offers a smaller, more classic cruise experience.

Wednesday, May 6th

• Carnival Miracle — 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (2,124 passengers)
• Coral Princess — 12 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (1,970 passengers)

A mix of daytime and evening visits, with Coral Princess continuing the steady flow of Princess ships into Victoria.

Thursday, May 7th

• Voyager of the Seas — 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (4,000 passengers)
• Celebrity Summit — 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (2,218 passengers)
• Emerald Princess — 2 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (3,080 passengers)

Thursday is one of the biggest days of the week, highlighted by Voyager of the Seas, making its first-ever visit to Victoria. The massive Royal Caribbean ship features everything from a surf simulator to an ice rink and will return more than 20 times this season.

Friday, May 8th

• Discovery Princess — 12 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (3,660 passengers)
• Eurodam — 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (2,104 passengers)
• Norwegian Bliss — 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (4,250 passengers)

Another strong lineup, with Norwegian Bliss bringing one of the largest passenger counts of the week.

Saturday, May 9th

• Serenade of the Seas — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (2,500 passengers)
• Star Princess — 7 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (4,300 passengers)
• Noordam — 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (1,918 passengers)
• Norwegian Encore — 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (3,998 passengers)

Saturday is stacked with four ships, including Star Princess, another first-time visitor to Victoria. One of the newest ships in the Princess fleet, it’s built for modern cruising with space for more than 4,000 guests.

Sunday, May 10th

• Brilliant Lady — 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (2,770 passengers)
• Silver Nova — 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (728 passengers)

Sunday wraps up the week with two very different experiences. Brilliant Lady marks Virgin Voyages’ first-ever visit to Victoria, offering an adults-only, boutique-style cruise. Meanwhile, Silver Nova brings a smaller, ultra-luxury experience and will only visit once this season.

With multiple ships arriving almost every day and several making their first-ever stops in the city, cruise season is clearly starting to pick up around Victoria.