On a busy day, Richmond-based Blundell Seafoods can pack as much as 20,000 kg of fresh and frozen local seafood into crates to supply visiting cruise ships—delivering favourites such as B.C.’s famous salmon to docked vessels brimming with passengers eagerly awaiting to depart for Alaska.
As many as 20 of Blundell’s 150 staff are dedicated to supporting cruise ship orders during the Port of Vancouver’s peak season, which runs from May to September and sees more than 300 cruise ship calls. For Blundell and its employees, it means a boost to business as well as early start. Crates of orders need to be loaded into a waiting delivery truck at 5 a.m. so they can arrive at the Port of Vancouver’s Canada Place cruise terminal by 6 a.m. for delivery.
“It’s never a dull moment working with cruise,” says Blundell owner Jeremy Law. “Orders can be placed weeks in advance, or they can come hours prior to the ship leaving. Once I was having lunch with some cruise line managers onboard when the provision master approached us and asked me to get them 30 cases of Coca-Cola as they were shorted on their L.A. order. We were handing the cases over to the ship’s crew with 15 minutes to spare before their lines were cast and the ship departed.”
Blundell is just one of countless businesses across the Lower Mainland and Canada that help make Vancouver’s cruise sector a success year after year.
Vancouver’s cruise relies on businesses across Canada
According to a recently released study by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, each visit by a cruise ship to the Canada Place cruise terminal injects about $3 million into the local economy. This includes spending by tourists and crew on food, drink, accommodation and experiences, as well as spending by cruise lines stocking, fueling and maintaining their ships.
The Port of Vancouver is a homeport for Alaskan cruises, meaning ships sail from Canada Place for the season and use local suppliers to restock food and beverage, get repairs, and refuel. As a result, cruise operations at the Port of Vancouver sustain more than 17,000 jobs and $3.3 billion in economic output across Canada.
“Vancouver has long been Canada’s premier cruise port, with visiting cruise ships, passengers and crew helping our local economy and businesses thrive,” said Chance McKee, the port authority’s Cruise Account Representative.
“We’re proud to be part of Vancouver’s cruise success story—where passionate local vendors, international cruise lines, terminal workers and B.C.’s breathtaking vistas have combined to form an industry that is so much more than the sum of its parts. We’ve seen cruise firmly re-establish itself in Vancouver following the disruptions from the pandemic, and this year promises to be a banner year with the port on track for a record 1.27 million passengers.”
Donna Spalding, senior advisor in Canada to Cruise Lines International Association, adds that the more than 17,000 jobs and $2.6 billion in GDP supported by the Vancouver cruise industry make it a significant contributor to the B.C. economy. "We appreciate the support of the Port of Vancouver and the many vendors, suppliers and longshore workers who help make this possible," she said.
More than $1 billion in economic input
Local spending by cruise passengers, crew and cruise lines was more than $1.1 billion last year—with cruise lines spending an estimated $660 million on local goods and services (they spent $111 million on food and beverage alone!). Additionally, cruise passengers spend an average of about $450 each on hotels, restaurants, shopping, tours and local attractions, and more.
Blundell plays a key role keeping these visiting cruise ships well stocked with quality seafood, including two of its clients – Carnival Corporation’s Princess Cruises and Holland America Line —two of the local industry’s longer-term stalwarts. The pair have both sailed to Alaska from Vancouver since as early as the 1960s.
Over the years, their operations and the cruise industry have evolved and in 2024 the two cruise lines are expected to account for about half of the 1.27 million passengers who will pass through the Canada Place cruise terminal. Princess has seven ships making 61 calls to the Port of Vancouver, while Holland America has six ships making 77 calls.
“We have deep-rooted ties to Vancouver,” says Beth Bodensteiner, Chief Commercial Officer at Holland America Line. “And we take immense pride in partnering with local suppliers like Blundell Seafoods that support jobs in British Columbia—helping local businesses and workers thrive.”
“As part of our global fresh fish program, our guests enjoy the exceptional quality of Blundell’s fresh fish from port to plate within 48 hours when sailing with us from Vancouver. Holland America Line was the first cruise line to call at Canada Place when the terminal opened in 1986—though we’d been sailing in the region long before then—and we look forward to continuing to work alongside local businesses to support a strong, thriving Vancouver cruise sector for many years to come.”