Nanaimo Cruise Ship Facility - Overview

In May 2011, the Nanaimo Port Authority opened its new $20 million, state-of-the-art cruise ship facility in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The waterfront improvements and modern cruise facility secure Nanaimo's position as a maritime hub for the central Vancouver Island region. The Nanaimo Port Authority included PND on the design team to review the initial concepts. Together with CH2M Hill, the team proceeded to analyze alternatives and design the new facility. The design team and the Port Authority determined that a floating pontoon berth would provide the best solution, considering the site, usage, and environmental conditions. The new cruise ship facility in downtown Nanaimo, BC, is a world-class facility capable of accommodating the currently in-use Panamax cruise vessels, as well as the anticipated 2014 Panama Upgrade size. Numerous design considerations were utilized on this project, including: berth alignment to minimize dredging and reduce environmental impacts; limiting disruption of inner harbor activities; passenger safety; construction schedule; and project cost.