Vancouver, BC - Vancouver's 2007 cruise season begins on Sunday 8 April when Holland America Line's ms Zaandam arrives at Canada Place.

During the 2007 cruise season, the Port of Vancouver will welcome 33 ships and 273 calls at its two cruise terminals, Canada Place and Ballantyne. Vancouver will also see 930,000 cruise revenue passengers, up from 837,823 in 2006, due to the return of Celebrity Cruises' 1,870-passenger Mercury, new service on the 700-passenger Pacific Princess, and the larger-capacity Norwegian Sun replacing the Norwegian Wind.

"The VPA is looking forward to a successful cruise season," said Gordon Houston, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are confident that together with our partners at the North West Cruise Ship Association (NWCA), the Pacific Rim Cruise Association (PRCA), Tourism Vancouver and our cruise terminal operator, Ceres, the exceptional level of service, smooth operations and superior luggage handling that Vancouver is known for around the world will continue."

"We are happy to be back in Vancouver for the Alaska cruise season," said Stein Kruse, president and chief executive officer, Holland America Line, which operates five ships from the city. "Our guests have enjoyed the hospitality and friendliness of this scenic gateway for decades now and we are excited to bring even more guests to Vancouver in 2007."

"The cruise season plays a pivotal role for Vancouver's tourism industry and positioning the city as an essential component of the cruise experience is important for us," said Dayna Miller, Director Sales, Travel Trade & Cruise at Tourism Vancouver. "The PRCA study shows we
have a 'must-see' destination that passengers want to explore, and Vancouver received extremely high satisfaction ratings on nearly all aspects of their visit including attractions, sightseeing, dining, shopping and accommodation."

Berlitz, the London based travel publisher, has recognized Vancouver as the most passenger-friendly cruise port in North America. And according to a 2006 Vancouver Cruise Passenger Study conducted by the PRCA, passengers rated their Vancouver cruise terminal experience 4.5 out of a possible 5.0, giving the highest accolades to smooth and efficient baggage handling, security processing and Canada Customs procedures.

"I am sure the US Direct program, in which passengers are expedited through the customs and immigration process, is a key factor in the excellent ratings in the PRCA survey," said Houston. "The program has received tremendous support and is an excellent example of a collaborative and innovative approach to enhancing Vancouver's competitive cruise position."

Cruise and other ocean-going vessels visiting Vancouver will be able to take advantage of the VPAs new Harbour Dues program. The differentiated rates Basic, Bronze, Silver and Gold are designed to provide a wide variety of technology and fuel options to vessels in order to promote and build awareness around a number of alternative emission reduction practices.

Vancouver, the homeport for the Alaska cruise itinerary, is a popular destination on the cruising scene. The season runs from April to September, and the West Coast market, consisting of both Mexico and VancouverAlaska itineraries, is the third most popular cruise in the world after the Caribbean and Europe.

The cruise industry provides significant economic benefit to Canada including $1.3 billion in total economic output and $567 million in total GDP annually. Each sailing through Vancouver generates approximately $2 million in economic benefits to the local and provincial economy, and the cruise sector alone creates 13,500 jobs annually at the Port of Vancouver.

The Port of Vancouver is Canada's flagship port, trading more than $53 billion in goods with more than 100 trading economies annually. Port activities generate 69,200 jobs in total with $4 billion in Gross Domestic Product and $8.9 billion in economic output.

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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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