Canadian government CANCELS 2021 Alaska cruise Season

[Fouremco]

18 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

Work Around?

Our Alaska cruise r/t Seattle on NCL missed Victoria because of a damaged azipod. We anchored in Canadian water but never came ashore. If this was allowed then, could it not be permitted now? That way Alaska cruises could proceed this season provided other covid protocols were in place and the CDC gave a green light.

 

No, what's allowed in an emergency situation and what is allowed on a routine basis are two very different things. Under the PVSA, it's not sufficient to sail or anchor in Canadian waters, passengers must be given the opportunity to disembark. Even coming into port and docking but not allowing passengers a chance to go ashore is no longer permitted. 

[GateGuardian]

16 minutes ago, TMLAalum said:

Work Around?

Our Alaska cruise r/t Seattle on NCL missed Victoria because of a damaged azipod. We anchored in Canadian water but never came ashore. If this was allowed then, could it not be permitted now? That way Alaska cruises could proceed this season provided other covid protocols were in place and the CDC gave a green light.

 

 IMO, if Alaska and the cruise lines REALLY want to sail to Alaska, they will find a way to do it. However, I don't think they're at a point where they are desperate enough to piss off the CDC.

 

At the end of the day if they do need more cash, they can always move their ships to other destinations and sail locally, similar to what MSC and Royal Caribbean is doing.

[tert333]

I think it is ridiculous to make a decision until 2022.  I could see making a statement that cruising is banned until July.   According to our government, we are going to be getting millions of vaccines over the next few months.   If they believed what they are saying and set restrictions on people coming into the country must have a vaccination, then why can't they open things up.

 

Our economy can not stand being closed down for that long.   There is no way the cruise ships can last until 2022 with no passengers, let alone the airlines and the thousands of travel agents whose livelihood is based on travel.

 

I am retired, so does not really affect me in any big way, other than the fact that our government debt is going to be so big, it will take many generations to get out of the hole we are digging for our children.  It is time to start looking for ways to open things up this summer, not close it down to 2022.

 

This is terrible news!!!

 

 

[nocl]

10 minutes ago, GateGuardian said:

 IMO, if Alaska and the cruise lines REALLY want to sail to Alaska, they will find a way to do it. However, I don't think they're at a point where they are desperate enough to piss off the CDC.

 

At the end of the day if they do need more cash, they can always move their ships to other destinations and sail locally, similar to what MSC and Royal Caribbean is doing.

Not many locations they can move ships to and sail.  Australia - No, New Zealand - No, Japan - No, Canada - No, The EU - only if you are a line that is located in a member state, which means only small number of RCL and CCL line qualify.  

 

RCL is doing what, sailing 1 ship in Singapore, other than its EU located lines.

[garyl62]

Interesting that even with this announcement, RCL stock is up 2% today.

Edited February 4, 2021 by garyl62

[cruisestitch]

Here’s a creative work around. What if the town of Friday Harbor seceded from the US and declared itself a foreign country. Cruise ships sailing from Seattle could tender there and that would satisfy the PVSA requirement.  Jus’ thinking’ outside the box 🤪

[gerelmx]

New England and Canada Plus Alaska cruises has been removed from the web site

 

[Fouremco]

34 minutes ago, tert333 said:

I think it is ridiculous to make a decision until 2022.  I could see making a statement that cruising is banned until July.   According to our government, we are going to be getting millions of vaccines over the next few months.   If they believed what they are saying and set restrictions on people coming into the country must have a vaccination, then why can't they open things up.

 

Our economy can not stand being closed down for that long.   There is no way the cruise ships can last until 2022 with no passengers, let alone the airlines and the thousands of travel agents whose livelihood is based on travel.

 

I am retired, so does not really affect me in any big way, other than the fact that our government debt is going to be so big, it will take many generations to get out of the hole we are digging for our children.  It is time to start looking for ways to open things up this summer, not close it down to 2022.

 

This is terrible news!!!

 

 

While I agree that it's terrible news, it was hardly unexpected. Moreover, far from being ridiculous, I believe that it was a very wise decision. Original projections had the majority of Canadian vaccinated by September, the end of the Alaskan season, but with current vaccine shortages and more delays to come, that date is very questionable. Banning until July, as you suggest, is a complete non-starter, and to do so would only result in cruise lines and passengers having to change plans when a later cancellation order was issued instead of doing so now.

 

I realize that this is disappointing for all concerned, myself included, but in the middle of a pandemic, health and safety must take precedence over leisure activity, even though there is a financial impact. We had plans for a Canada-New England cruise this fall, but held off booking in anticipation of a decision of this nature. We couldn't do our biannual trip down East last year because of the Maritime bubble, and can't cruise there this year, but that's life during a pandemic.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Fouremco

[koolforkatz]

7 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

New England and Canada Plus Alaska cruises has been removed from the web site

 

Interesting. But both the Hawaii and Transpacific September/2021 cruises out of Vancouver are both still listed.

[Arizona Wildcat]

5 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

While I agree that it's terrible news, it was hardly unexpected. Moreover, far from being ridiculous, I believe that it was a very wise decision. Original projections had the majority of Canadian vaccinated by September, the end of the Alaskan season, but with current vaccine shortages and more delays to come, that date is very questionable. Banning until July, as you suggest, is a complete non-starter, and to do so would only result in cruise lines and passengers having to change plans when a later cancellation order was made instead of doing so now.

 

I realize that this is disappointing for all concerned, myself included, but in the middle of a pandemic, health and safety must take precedence over leisure activity, even though there is a financial impact. We had plans for a Canada-New England cruise this fall, but held off booking in anticipation of a decision of this nature. We couldn't do our biannual trip down East last year because of the Maritime bubble, and can't cruise there this year, but that's life during a pandemic.

Fouremco think you called this quite a while ago.  Think of the good side.  Millions of people now know exactly what will happen in 2021 instead of waiting until after final payment for a cancellation.  Lots less stress and clarity.

[Arizona Wildcat]

1 minute ago, koolforkatz said:

 

Interesting. But both the Hawaii and Transpacific September/2021 cruises out of Vancouver are both still listed.

So is an August TA - NY to Southampton - stopping in Canada.   The basic Alaska cruises were easy to take down.  The outliers will take a bit longer as those must be done manually.

We aren't done yet with cancellations.   The big issue in resuming cruises is WHERE do ships stop?  Cruising requires an agreement to accept infected passengers by the ports - remember ships wandering about the World last March? - and few ports have sufficient medical services for their own residents, much less ill cruising passengers.

[gerelmx]

We are on the TA - Southampton to Boston with stop at Halifax, the cruise still is online.

[LGW59]

Just now, gerelmx said:

We are on the TA - Southampton to Boston with stop at Halifax, the cruise still is online.

Not for long it won't be

[markeb]

2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Not for long it won't be

 

Probably not, but that could theoretically go without the stop in Canada.

[WestLakeGirl]

All they would need to do is remove Halifax and the cruises to Greenland-Iceland-Southampton would be ok.  IF those locations would let the Summit enter in August.

[WonderMan3]

1 hour ago, koolforkatz said:

 

Interesting. But both the Hawaii and Transpacific September/2021 cruises out of Vancouver are both still listed.

If Mexico allows it they could change Vancouver to Ensenada.

[verizon]

1 hour ago, garyl62 said:

Interesting that even with this announcement, RCL stock is up 2% today.

Short squeeze?

[Ashland]

4 hours 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.  

I hope Celebrity also re-implements L/S and expands their restrictive sail by dates for FCC's.

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, Ashland said:

I hope Celebrity also re-implements L/S and expands their restrictive sail by dates for FCC's.

I hope Celebrity can stay in business

[Ride-The-Waves]

4 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

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.

Cruise lines have not yet been able to show the CDC how they will safely operate so that cruising can resume.  The cruise lines themselves are much at fault here.

[gold1953]

1 hour ago, markeb said:

 

Probably not, but that could theoretically go without the stop in Canada.

They are working on this. I called them this evening and a decision will be made by the end of next week. I doubt that Iceland or Greenland will let them in anyway

[naturelovergirl]

I feel very sorry for the people in Alaska who rely on tourism for their livelihoods.

 

[jelayne]

56 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

If Mexico allows it they could change Vancouver to Ensenada.

That’s a possibility but that would add 1-2 days to the cruise putting it outside the initial 7 day restriction. 

[gerelmx]

From X site

Thursday, February 4^th,2021

Today, the Canadian government shared their decision for their ports to remain closed through February, 2022. We are working through the resulting impacts to our itineraries that visit Canada and we will communicate all updates and alternatives to you or your travel advisor by no later than Friday, February 12. We know this is disappointing news, particularly as it relates to the Alaska cruise season. We continue to maintain our focus on all efforts to resume service with the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the communities we visit, and our crew and shoreside employees as our highest priority. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by gerelmx

[gerelmx]

duplicate

 

Edited February 5, 2021 by gerelmx