It was a major milestone for Port Alberni (Vancouver Island, Canada) on Saturday, May 25. For the first time in 6 years, the city welcomed a cruise ship. It was the first of 3 in 2019 and many are hoping this will be a turning point that will see more lines consider a stop in the city.
Holland America’s ms Maasdam arrived in Alberni Inlet Saturday morning with over 1700 passengers and crew onboard who had the chance to see what Alberni Valley has to offer.
Port Alberni's mayor said she hoped the visit would encourage more cruise companies to make stops in the port city. A cruise ship representative said for many people who liked cruising the Pacific Northwest, Port Alberni was a novelty. Numerous cruise passengers said they were enjoying the Port Alberni experience.
MS Maasdam will be stopping in Port Alberni 2 more times in 2019. Port Alberni is day 19 of a 21-day itinerary for a roundtrip voyage from homeport San Franciso to Alaska. Holland America has not planned any stops for Port Alberni in 2020 but is still considering plans for the year after.