Vancouver's cruise ship season extended by worldwide boom

Next year's cruise ship season is expected to be one of the busiest in years for Vancouver, according to Port Metro Vancouver predictions.

Approximately 829,000 passengers on 227 sailings are expected to pass through the city in 2016, a three per cent rise over this year.

That will make 2016 the busiest season since 2009, but not as busy as 2002 when more than one million cruise ship passengers visited Vancouver.

The port's cruise services manager Carmen Ortega says demand for cruising has increased more than 60 per cent worldwide over the last ten years.

"We're seeing some interesting new itineraries at the beginning and the end of the season that are actually extending our season," said Ortega.

In fact the 2015 cruise ship season has not yet ended. The last cruise ship Ruby Princess isn't scheduled to sail out of Vancouver until Dec.15.