The Port Authority says the high volume of passengers will cause traffic issues in the area

Six ships will be disembarking and embarking passengers in Vancouver this weekend

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – More than 30,000 passengers from six cruise ships will descend on the Port of Vancouver this weekend.

The Port Authority says the high volume of passengers expected at Canada Place over the course of the month will likely cause traffic backups around the harbour.

The Golden Princess, the Ruby Princess, and the Nieuw Amsterdam will all be docked downtown on Saturday, with about 16,000 passengers embarking and disembarking.

The Celebrity Eclipse, the Westerdam and the Noordam are all scheduled for Sunday, with 14,000 passengers between them.

ADVISORY: High cruise passenger numbers expected at Canada Place terminal during mid-to-late September https://t.co/60bYRjc5WY pic.twitter.com/ZTGPREaBo9 — Port of Vancouver (@PortVancouver) September 20, 2019



Sergeant Aaron Roed says the Vancouver Police will have officers in the area directing traffic, but drivers may still want to avoid the area.

“Give yourself lots of time, plan where you’re going to go. If you can, order a taxi ahead, there will be lineups,” he says. “Vancouver is a very walkable city, many parts of the city you can get to by walking, bicycles – there are multiple different forms of transportation.”

He says it’s expected to be very busy, and everyone plays a role in staying safe.

“It’s important to remember that road safety is a shared responsibility. We will have officers out and present. We recommend that everybody abide by those rules and listen to and abide by the traffic authority out there.”

The city has seen an increase of 21 per cent in cruise passenger volume in 2019 over last year.

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