Cruise Ships

What have these lovely ladies got to do with cruise ships? They are members of the City of Victoria Chorus who came out to celebrate the arrival of the 150th cruise ship in Victoria this year.Their splendid performance was only a part of the festivities organized by a group called Victoria AM that ensures that cruise ship visitors are warmly welcomed. Victoria AM is "a non profit society dedicated to enhancing and supporting Tourism in Greater Victoria." In addition to the chorus, there were other performances and a night market, pictured below. The entertainment was generally good but I cannot help but wonder why some of the talented performing artists from the Causeway Artists Society were not invited to participate. Their performances on the causeway are, after all, an important part of what makes Victoria an interesting and memorable stopover for cruise ship passengers.The cruise ship in the background above, the Star Princess, was only the 149th to arrive. The 150th, the MS Westerdam, is shown below shortly after docking, towering over an African drum and dance ensemble that performed as part of the welcoming ceremonies. I assume that the 150th ship was selected for this honor to mark also the 150th aniversary of British Columbia. However, there does not need to be any special reason to welcome these huge floating hotels. They are a major source of income for the city and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. They bring over 300,000 visitors to Victoria annually and every cruise ship that stops here leaves tens of thousands of dollars behind.