Port Metro Vancouver has said that despite the economic downturn it enjoyed a healthy cruise ship season this year.

The May to October Alaska season saw a steady volume of cruise traffic at Canada's West Coast port with over 250 calls, in spite of what port officials are calling "an era of travel uncertainty."

Local bunker suppliers told Bunkerworld that demand continued to be 'healthy' from cruise ships with volumes remaining firm.

Despite a focus on cleaner burning fuels by ports on America's West Coast, and with a fuel incentive scheme in place in Vancouver, suppliers said they had not witnessed any noticeable changes in fuel requirements in Vancouver.

"Bunker fuel demand was comparable to previous years," said one supplier, adding that "we did not see an increased call for low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO)."

Many cruise lines adopted clean-fuel policies for the 2007 cruise season, favouring low-sulphur grades.

"Distillate remained fairly steady, with perhaps a slight drop due to extremely high prices," noted another supplier.

Port officials say that although 2009 will present some challenges, the future continues to look up.

"We are not immune to the worldwide challenges faced by companies at the moment, but our sailing schedule is organised a year and a half in advance, so we know 2009 is looking very positive," Greg Wirtz, Trade Development Manager at Port Metro Vancouver told Bunkerworld.

"Alaska continues to be a solid performer, as it has been for the past 30-plus years. Over the past decade we've seen a great deal of competition from Seattle, which is a viable option, however we have a strong sailing schedule for next season," concluded Wirtz.

Bunker suppliers in Vancouver are ICS Petroleum, ExxonMobil-owned Imperial Oil, and Marine Petrobulk.