Canadian government CANCELS 2021 Alaska cruise Season

[Oren]

Time to plan for 2022!

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24324-alaska-cruise-season-cancelled-as-canadian-government-bans-cruise-ships-for-2021.html

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels-830109188.html#:~:text=Today%2C the Minister of Transport,prohibited from entering Arctic waters.

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Oren

[HS2BS]

11 minutes ago, Oren said:

Time to plan for 2022!

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/24324-alaska-cruise-season-cancelled-as-canadian-government-bans-cruise-ships-for-2021.html

 

Unable to use the link

[CanuckCFAN]

1 minute ago, HS2BS said:

Unable to use the link

Here is another you can try...

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels-830109188.html#:~:text=Today%2C the Minister of Transport,prohibited from entering Arctic waters.

[HS2BS]

2 minutes ago, CanuckCFAN said:

Here is another you can try...

 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels-830109188.html#:~:text=Today%2C the Minister of Transport,prohibited from entering Arctic waters.

That works

 

Hal

[cruisestitch]

So this also cancels east coast sailings as well, am I reading that right?

[CanuckCFAN]

1 minute ago, cruisestitch said:

So this also cancels east coast sailings as well, am I reading that right?

Yes.... 😪

[Ashland]

So does this mean my RCI Oct 2021 Canada/NE cruise will be cancelled by the cruiseline?

[hvbaskey]

This will impact Alaska Sailings 😞  Our Alaska booking is not until September, so will keep the hope alive (for now).

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2021/02/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels.html?fbclid=IwAR2RhR-AvOtYdlxhEKmSkJuB0VyFJbVTsbN_uT5mCXJ0oCJCn72ARMtrIeg

 

With the note of:
Cruise vessels in Canadian waters pose a risk to our health care systems. The Government of Canada will continue to evaluate the situation and make changes as necessary to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians. Should the COVID-19 pandemic sufficiently improve to allow the resumption of these activities, the Minister of Transport has the ability to rescind the Interim Orders. 

[mom says]

As predicted by many of us. Hopefully there will be a return in '22.

 

Ashland, yes, the east coast sailings are also affected.

[terrydtx]

This will kill what is left of Alaska Tourism unless Alaska cruises get a waiver from having to stop at a foreign port when sailing from Seattle.

 

[bEwAbG]

Alaska doesn't need an influx of people carrying COVID into their state.  They also have their own travel restrictions in place.

[mom says]

Yeah, don't hold your breath on that. Given our vaccine rollout, I doubt the situation will be sufficient to allow reminding the order before the end of the cruise season - on either coast. 

[GateGuardian]

Makes sense. Don't think our country will be vaccinated till at least Q4 of 2021. No point opening borders.

 

Also, while I love cruising, I have flown into Alaska multiple times and the experience is just as great.

Edited February 4, 2021 by GateGuardian

[phoenix_dream]

10 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

Alaska doesn't need an influx of people carrying COVID into their state.  They also have their own travel restrictions in place.

If they determine that vaccinated people do not carry Covid (and I know that has not been fully determined yet) and cruise lines require vaccinations, this would not happen.

[Baron Barracuda]

Can't blame the CDC this time

[poffles]

19 minutes ago, Ashland said:

So does this mean my RCI Oct 2021 Canada/NE cruise will be cancelled by the cruiseline?

 

Well it won't be sailing there so one would expect that but who can guarantee how the cruiseline will officially respond for those booked.

[grandgeezer]

18 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

This will kill what is left of Alaska Tourism unless Alaska cruises get a waiver from having to stop at a foreign port when sailing from Seattle.

 

That will not happen. If there was any validity to doing this it would have happened a long time ago.

You don't think Canada won't take a big financial hit too?

It's refreshing to see someone choose public safety of the all mighty dollar.

[phoenix_dream]

This is so extremely disappointing.  I had already lifted and shifted both an Alaska cruise and a Canada/NE cruise to this year.  Now they will be toast.  I hope Celebrity decides to open up lift and shift again for these cruises.  I just cannot see our legislature spending the time to revise the law to allow ships to sail without stopping in a distant foreign port, or a foreign port as applicable.  

[lobsternight]

Very disappointed for the third time now. Will try again in 2022.

[kwokpot]

2 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

This is so extremely disappointing.  I had already lifted and shifted both an Alaska cruise and a Canada/NE cruise to this year.  Now they will be toast.  I hope Celebrity decides to open up lift and shift again for these cruises.  I just cannot see our legislature spending the time to revise the law to allow ships to sail without stopping in a distant foreign port, or a foreign port as applicable.  

Why would they?

[poffles]

5 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

That will not happen. If there was any validity to doing this it would have happened a long time ago.

You don't think Canada won't take a big financial hit too?

It's refreshing to see someone choose public safety of the all mighty dollar.

 

Totally agree, my city of Halifax relies a lot on the cruise ship tourism and tourism in general so this is a HUGE decision and impact.  That said, I tend to applaud the guts to make such a decision long out instead of the month by month that holds people hostage to hope that is (as we've seen over and over) repeatedly being dashed little by little.

 

I wish the title of this thread was not worded to put the cancellation of Alaska cruising on the Canadian government's shoulders, is it not an American policy that is the cause and Canada is just the means to abide by that law so in theory it's the law that is the challenge.

Edited February 4, 2021 by poffles

[phoenix_dream]

1 minute ago, grandgeezer said:

That will not happen. If there was any validity to doing this it would have happened a long time ago.

You don't think Canada won't take a big financial hit too?

It's refreshing to see someone choose public safety of the all mighty dollar.

I agree that public safety trumps the almighty dollar always.  But with cruise lines requiring vaccines, and effective testing, cruise only shore excursions, and on and on, I am not so sure that allowing a certain number of compliant ships to stop in Canada is really adversely affecting public safety in any reasonable way.  I know my vote doesn't count here, but that is my opinion.

[bEwAbG]

6 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

If they determine that vaccinated people do not carry Covid (and I know that has not been fully determined yet) and cruise lines require vaccinations, this would not happen.

 

Logistically, this is the time when such decisions are going to be made.  Cruise season starts in May/June, so we're only about three months away.  Decisions have to be made based on current knowledge.  If they could get everyone vaccinated by May & establish that those people cannot carry COVID, you might be able to have a few cruises by the end of the Alaska season.  More likely that they could salvage the East Coast season.  I don't think anyone should be surprised that the summer cruising season is a no-go.

[kwokpot]

1 minute ago, bEwAbG said:

 

Logistically, this is the time when such decisions are going to be made.  Cruise season starts in May/June, so we're only about three months away.  Decisions have to be made based on current knowledge.  If they could get everyone vaccinated by May & establish that those people cannot carry COVID, you might be able to have a few cruises by the end of the Alaska season.  More likely that they could salvage the East Coast season.  I don't think anyone should be surprised that the summer cruising season is a no-go.

Impossible to get everyone vaccinated by May. 

[tert333]

16 minutes ago, mom says said:

Yeah, don't hold your breath on that. Given our vaccine rollout, I doubt the situation will be sufficient to allow reminding the order before the end of the cruise season - on either coast. 

Yes, I agree.   Just listened to the Canadian Update on vaccines today.  We dont know if we are going to get any more shipments of vaccines from Moderna this month.  If they cant even deliver the small amount they committed to us in February, how are they going to meet their commitments when they ramp up?  Next month we are supposed to get over 1M doses.

 

I think the governments plan of having vaccines for everyone by September is highly suspect.   They know it but have not said anything, hence the reason to cancel cruises out of Canada until next year.

 

The announcement is quite discouraging.....