A family from Wales and a local couple were chosen to represent Victoria’s 10 millionth cruise ship passengers on Wednesday (Aug. 16) at Ogden Point.
The family members from across the Atlantic had been on an Alaskan cruise before touching down on the Island. Emma and Liam Lonergan, mother and father to 13-year-old Ava, are taking this trip to renew their wedding vows.
“We’ve been married for 14 years and because we were coming on our trip of a lifetime, we thought it would be the perfect time and occasion to renew the vows,” said Emma.
Saturday, the captain will officiate the wedding at sea. Emma hopes it will be followed by a “nice dinner and hopefully a bit of champagne.”
During their day in the city, the family hoped to “explore, go around, and make the most of this. So far, it’s very beautiful, nice and warm, which is something we’re not very used to,” laughed Emma.
Rebecca and Ryan Fairchild also stepped off the same Cunard Queen Elizabeth cruise ship. The couple calls Victoria home and Rebecca even grew up in Esquimalt.
“This morning I was quite excited to see the western communities, where we live and to just be able to see home again,” said Rebecca. “I’m also very excited for all the tourists because Victoria is such a gorgeous city with lots to do and it’s friendly.”
Although the couple is treating their time in Victoria like a staycation, Ryan said “it forces us to kind of look at our own city with eyes that we don’t normally look at it with.”
Since the first cruise ship arrived in 1969, it has significantly impacted Victoria’s tourism industry. Annually, the visitors and crew contribute $56 million to the local economy, spending money on tours, local transportation, retail, food and beverages. Cruise lines spend $84 million on warehousing, ship agents, maintenance, port fees and docking services.
“We’re planning about 805,000 guests through this cruise facility this summer, I think we’ll probably break that record at the pace we’re going,” said Robert Lewis-Manning, CEO of Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. “It’s wonderful to see people experience this great city – hopefully they leave a few dollars for our tour operators and our businesses in the local area.”
ALSO READ: Nanaimo-Vancouver foot ferry cancels half its scheduled sailings for August
