No more New England/Canada routes?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Just looked at fall 2021 and 2022 and I see that the New England, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Eastern Canada routes seem to be gone.

 

At first I thought perhaps it was a covid thing, but then I see Alaska routes out of Vancouver, so it can't be that.  And I also see that there are several S.A. trips that start in St. John's Newfoundland, of all places.  

 

We loved our trip in Eastern Canada several years ago, and I'm wondering why they're giving up on that route.

[zelker]

If memory serves, those are longer than 7 day itineraries.  Because of the CDC guidelines for cruise ships not being allowed to touch US ports until after November 1st, that would impact the NE/Canada cruises.  Also, there's still no guarantee that Alaska (or the ones you mention) itineraries will happen due to no confirmation yet that Canada will reopen to cruise ships this season.

 

Still a lot of unknowns for sure for 2021.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, zelker said:

If memory serves, those are longer than 7 day itineraries.  Because of the CDC guidelines for cruise ships not being allowed to touch US ports until after November 1st, that would impact the NE/Canada cruises.  Also, there's still no guarantee that Alaska (or the ones you mention) itineraries will happen due to no confirmation yet that Canada will reopen to cruise ships this season.

 

Still a lot of unknowns for sure for 2021.

Had forgotten about the 7-day thingy.  None of these itins on the 2022 schedule either, but lots of changes to come, I guess.  

 

Since I'm Canadian, I might hope that they do the Montreal-Montreal itinerary, which doesn't touch the U.S. in 2022 and beyond. A nice easy trip for us from Toronto--took the train last time.

[RichNBets]

We were booked on a Montreal-Newfoundland-Montreal in September 2021 that was cancelled.  Apparently one problem was that cruises within Canada that are operated by a foreign ship must call at a foreign port.  I recently read that Saint Pierre and Miquelon  has banned cruise ships for now which means the Montreal - Montreal cruises can't operate.  

Let's hope that the vaccines will allow things to gradually get back to normal.

 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On 1/12/2021 at 4:55 PM, RichNBets said:

We were booked on a Montreal-Newfoundland-Montreal in September 2021 that was cancelled.  Apparently one problem was that cruises within Canada that are operated by a foreign ship must call at a foreign port.  I recently read that Saint Pierre and Miquelon  has banned cruise ships for now which means the Montreal - Montreal cruises can't operate.  

Let's hope that the vaccines will allow things to gradually get back to normal.

 

Thanks, I did not know that Canada had a rule similar to the U.S. one.  Too bad about St. Pierre, it was a nice stop.  

[RichNBets]

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/ports-destinations/canada-announces-year-long-ban-most-cruise-ships

 

This is disappointing.  Cruises in Canada are banned through 2/28/22.

[robertmartha]

This is a huge blow to the Alaskan cruise market as well as Canada.

Was thinking / hoping? maybe part of the 2021 season would be salvaged and certainly fall Canadian cruises....but then again it really will depend on vaccination rates since I believe cruise lines will make it mandatory that all passengers and crew be vaccinated. Heard on the news this evening that there is now a big push to test the vaccines on children with the thought of vaccinating children as young as two years old at some point down the road.....to reach that elusive herd immunity.

[cruiseej]

Is there a good reason the US still has the Passenger Vessel Services Act? It's a law from the late 1800s, and I don't understand how it is seen as helping the US economy. It doesn't encourage passenger ship building in the US. It doesn't lead to US-flagging of cruise ships. (Heck, even US-based Disney flags their ships outside the US.) It doesn't lead to largely-American staffs. So how do the requirements to touch foreign ports help the US in any way? Why is this law not rescinded? (I'm not making a lobbying plea; I'm genuinely curious.)

 

And if there is justification for the PVSA, or it would be hard to throw out entirely for some reason, why isn't there a move to create a waiver for cruising in Alaska for the next year or two? It would seem to benefit the economy of Alaska (and probably Washington, for cruises that would originate in Seattle instead do Vancouver). If cruise lines can otherwise meet the CDC rules for COVID safety, why isn't waiving the PVSA a no-brainer?

[CruiserFromMaine]

On 2/14/2021 at 4:41 PM, cruiseej said:

why isn't there a move to create a waiver for cruising

 

I wrote to my Maine senators and reps asking for a deferral of enforcement until 2024. I haven’t heard back yet from any of them, which is odd since a couple are usually pretty prompt. It’s an old law from 1886 and one more impediment the tourism sector doesn’t need right now.