The Squamish shoreline will have an added feature beginning next week as the cruise ship, Mona Lisa, takes a berth at Squamish Terminals.
And with more than 1,400 Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) employee, volunteers and crew residing at the south end of Squamish, it should be a boon for local business, according to Squamish Terminals marketing manager Kim Stegeman.
The 200-metre cruise ship is travelling from Greece and is booked at the Terminals from Tuesday (Jan. 26) until Friday March 23, said Stegeman.
"It's just great for the community having [the] VANOC workforce. They won't just be on the ship, they'll be out in our community supporting local businesses. So it's a very exciting opportunity for us."
The operations manager for the ship's agency Compass Marine Services, Michael Theodorakis, said the Mona Lisa ship will house 1,410 people including crew.
Theodorakis said the ship is fully equipped with kitchen facilities, but was unsure how these would be used.
However numerous restaurant owners in town have reported they've been warned to expect more customers since food would not served on board. Details from VANOC were not immediately available.
The 44-year-old, Scottish-built ship has eight passenger decks, three lounges, 389 cabins and three restaurants, although the functionality of the facilities is currently unknown.
"These are not fee paying passengers, as far as I know. So it's not your traditional typical cruise experience," Theodorakis said.
The passengers will include Canadian and international workforce including VANOC staff, volunteers and contractors who will be transported from the ship to their venues with the help of an organized shuttle service, stated a VANOC press release.
"Generally, it will be folks working up in Whistler, in Whistler Olympic Park or in the corridor," said Stegeman.
She said although VANOC has leased one of the two Squamish Terminal berths and will essentially be taking it over for the next eight weeks, no delays are anticipated at for regular Terminals business.
"It's business as normal with the exception of there is the Olympics so there will be some shifting of scheduling."
