Vancouver, B.C. The Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) and Cerescorp Company (Ceres) have signed a 10-year cruise ship services and terminal management agreement for the port's two cruise terminals at Canada Place and Ballantyne Pier, commencing with the 2006 cruise season.

Ceres was selected by the VPA following a competitive bidding process. Ceress bid was consistent with the Port of Vancouvers standards for providing world-class passenger services and facilities for the Alaska cruise market. They have also demonstrated a strong commitment to further develop Vancouvers cruise industry, said Captain Gordon Houston, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Port Authority. Ceres will be responsible for providing cruise vessel stevedoring and terminal services at Canada Place and Ballantyne Pier.
The Port of Vancouver was recently named the most passenger-friendly cruise port in North America by London-based Berlitz travel publishing company, with top marks for user friendliness and luggage handling. That's a reputation the port wants to maintain, said Houston.
John Hansen, President of the North West CruiseShip Association is looking forward to building a solid relationship with Ceres as it takes over operations in Vancouver. Smooth terminal operations are a critical component of a successful cruise industry and we intend to work closely with Ceres to ensure Vancouvers reputation is maintained and enhanced, said Hansen.

Ceres currently provides service at cruise terminals in Bayonne, NJ, Brooklyn, NY, and Baltimore, MD. Ceres is pleased to be working with the Vancouver Port Authority and is fully committed to maintaining the world-class status of Vancouver operations. We look forward to welcoming our existing and new customers to Vancouver in the 2006 cruise season, said Bruce Cashon, Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Development at Ceres.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest and most diversified port, trading $43 billion in goods with more than 90 trading economies annually. With two downtown cruise terminals, Vancouver is a favorite home port for the Alaska cruise industry, handling more than 900,000 passengers from approximately 280 sailings every year.

Cerescorp Company and its affiliated companies were acquired by Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) of Tokyo in October 2002. Ceres is a stand-alone company within the Harbour Division of the NYK Group and has stevedoring and terminal operations in the North American ports of Montreal, Halifax, New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Miami, New Orleans, Houston and Hueneme.

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For more information, please contact:

Anne McMullin,
Director, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
Vancouver Port Authority
(604) 665-9069 (office)
(604) 665-9073 (fax)
(778) 231-6978 (cellular)
anne.mcmullin@portvancouver.com

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