Docking Problems

[njen]

We are headed on an Alaskan cruise in mid-July and our last port is Victoria. I've noticed that many people have noted that their ships couldn't dock in Victoria because of bad weather. Is this more likely to occur during particular times of the year? We don't have any excursions planned so I'm not too worried if it happens to us, but we'd love to see the city. Thanks!

[Putterdude]

Ogden Point where the ships tie up is quite open and on very rare occasion there can be certain wind and or sea conditons that make it very difficult for cruise ships to make a controlled landing against the pier. In fact a few years ago the Diamond Princess gave the pier a pretty good wack. It has been my experience that this more likely to occur (if it happens at all) in the early spring and latter in September. In mid-July I would suggest that you have a very high probability of seeing Victoria.

[scottbee]

We are headed on an Alaskan cruise in mid-July and our last port is Victoria. I've noticed that many people have noted that their ships couldn't dock in Victoria because of bad weather. Is this more likely to occur during particular times of the year? We don't have any excursions planned so I'm not too worried if it happens to us, but we'd love to see the city. Thanks!

 

Victoria is a much more exposed port than Vancouver or Seattle, a high wind in Juan de Fuca straight is much more common than in Puget Sound or the Straight of Georgia

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=48.414932,-123.390326&spn=0.015951,0.04446&t=h&z=15

 

However, it's unusual in the height of summer for the weather to be bad to the point that a ship couldn't dock

[yyjguy]

Over the 2006 season there were 8 sailings which did not dock, all of them were Princess. In 2007 there were no missed dockings. So far this season, only one day with both Golden Princess and Oosterdam going to anchor.

[Putterdude]

Over the 2006 season there were 8 sailings which did not dock, all of them were Princess. In 2007 there were no missed dockings. So far this season, only one day with both Golden Princess and Oosterdam going to anchor.

 

Do you happen to know what dates this season's misses where?