Canada bans all cruises until Feb 2022.

[smokeybandit]

So any of you hoping for your Alaskan or Nova Scotia cruise, that ain't happening.

 

No real surprise though, as this seemed imminent

 

.

Edited February 4, 2021 by smokeybandit

[Sea Dog]

Very sad but understandable. Will other countries follow?

[firefly333]

One year seems excessive. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced two new Interim Orders, which prohibit pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters and cruise vessels in all Canadian waters until February 28, 2022. This means:

• Adventure-seeking pleasure craft are still prohibited from entering Arctic waters. 
• Passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people are still prohibited from entering Arctic coastal waters, including Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, and the Labrador Coast. 
• Cruise vessels carrying 100 or more people are still prohibited from operating in Canadian waters.

[Canadianmama3]

13 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

One year seems excessive. 

They wouldn’t allow any for this summer or fall anyways.  We likely won’t have most people vaccinated until the fall.   And cruises don’t come here in the winter anyways.  So really it’s not.  

[smokeybandit]

One year may be excessive, but how many cruises go to canadian ports in the winter anyway?  In a way aren't they just saying the summer 2021 is off, and they'll start back up in spring 2022?

[BND]

We're booked on a 4 night on FR to Nova Scotia followed by a 5 night to Bermuda in May, which we already were sure wasn't going to happen.  There's nothing to substitute for the 4 night as there's nowhere to go for that short of a trip out of NJ.  I expect that will be cancelled and hopefully before final payment because we want a refund.  As for the 5  night to Bermuda we'll probably cancel and take the FCC, unless they cancel before.  

 

 

[BND]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

One year may be excessive, but how many cruises go to canadian ports in the winter anyway?  In a way aren't they just saying the summer 2021 is off, and they'll start back up in spring 2022?

That's true for Alaska cruises, but NE/Canada cruises out of the east coast run into Oct, so they're covering all the possibilities.

Edited February 4, 2021 by BND

[MrsTravelBug]

A ban on cruise ships with more than 100 people coming to Canada will remain in place until February 2022, a federal government release said Thursday.

The temporary measures for cruise ships were scheduled to end on Feb. 28.

 

Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced the interim order, and also extended an order prohibiting pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters except for those used by residents of the region. 

"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," the release said. 

The government said it is focusing efforts on "the most pressing issues, including the vaccine rollout and new COVID-19 variants."  

 

Here is the link Cruise ship visits to Canada now banned until February 2022 | CBC News

[sfaaa]

I have so many cruises cancelled on me the last 12 months I lost count. Oh well, there is always next year. Stay safe everyone. Let's hope we will be getting our refunds without delay this time.

[yogimax]

The next major player is the Caribbean countries.  I assume they will act independent of each other which could make for interesting scheduling.

[HaveWeMetYet]

I had read that most of the vendors that setup for the Alaska season would not come for a partial season anyway. It was a given that May and June were going to be canceled.

[ssb]

31 minutes ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

I had read that most of the vendors that setup for the Alaska season would not come for a partial season anyway. It was a given that May and June were going to be canceled.

 

So are you saying you have seen something official already from RCL on May and June 2021 Alaska ??

Edited February 4, 2021 by ssb

[HaveWeMetYet]

35 minutes ago, ssb said:

 

So are you saying you have seen something official already from RCL on May and June 2021 Alaska ??

Yes, they had already canceled some sailings, Quantum of the Seas I believe. Also, Canada had previously announced that they did not see cruise ships coming to Canada through July 2021.

Cruising for 2021 looks to be 3-7 days cruises in the Med or Caribbean at best.

[strathcona]

3 hours ago, HaveWeMetYet said:

Yes, they had already canceled some sailings, Quantum of the Seas I believe. Also, Canada had previously announced that they did not see cruise ships coming to Canada through July 2021.

Cruising for 2021 looks to be 3-7 days cruises in the Med or Caribbean at best.

i will wait and see, currently the US requires negative covid test for entry into the US by air. Will they mandate that for sea as well. If they do, how many cruise line is going to do a covid test within 72 hrs of entry and have positive results on a ship. What happens to a passenger who test positive, you stay on the ship. CDC needs to lift a lot of requirements for this summer.  i have too many cancelled trips to be hopeful. 

Edited February 5, 2021 by strathcona

[Tree_skier]

7 hours ago, firefly333 said:

One year seems excessive. 

Doing it until the end of Oct would have accomplished the same thing.  This just makes them sound tougher to the uninformed.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

Doing it until the end of Oct would have accomplished the same thing.  This just makes them sound tougher to the uninformed.

Well I hoped for sooner. A tv doctor said he thinks there will be progress in covid by this april, as he thinks there are another 50m covid cases undiagnosed who also dont get it now. 

 

Still hoping my sept cruise is a go, though hard to say. September or october same same true.

[ipeeinthepool]

13 hours ago, yogimax said:

The next major player is the Caribbean countries.  I assume they will act independent of each other which could make for interesting scheduling.

 

I think we'll be spending more time cruising to Mexico instead Caribbean islands.

[ipeeinthepool]

16 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

So any of you hoping for your Alaskan or Nova Scotia cruise, that ain't happening.

 

 

Still no cruising for me either.  I was just hoping they would open the border so I could take my fishing boat across the Detroit River and anchor to fish.

[A&L_Ont]

9 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Doing it until the end of Oct would have accomplished the same thing.  This just makes them sound tougher to the uninformed.

 

Nailed it. 

[mek]

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

I think we'll be spending more time cruising to Mexico instead Caribbean islands.

When I L&S my November Oasis cruise I changed from an eastern Caribbean itinerary to the west and I have a feeling that itinerary just might be more successful than the other.

I have to be honest and say I really don't care about the ports on this ship - there is enough to do onboard that we really don't have to get off.  To me the Oasis class ships are the destination.

Fortunately, I don't have to make final payment until mid August and I think by then we will have a much better idea when and how cruising will be starting back up.

[Ourusualbeach]

21 minutes ago, mek said:

I have to be honest and say I really don't care about the ports on this ship - there is enough to do onboard that we really don't have to get off.  To me the Oasis class ships are the destination.

That has been us for the past 5 years.  I know that we are going to sail the same 2 weeks (Christmas and March Break) and it will be on an Oasis class ship.  It usually boils down to price and if that’s equal then I’ll choose based on ship with itinerary the last deciding factor.  

[mek]

16 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That has been us for the past 5 years.  I know that we are going to sail the same 2 weeks (Christmas and March Break) and it will be on an Oasis class ship.  It usually boils down to price and if that’s equal then I’ll choose based on ship with itinerary the last deciding factor.  

I booked this cruise October, 2019 - long before Covid was in the news.  We got a fantastic deal on a CP balcony and I really hope we get to go this November.  Actually, I don't care when, I would just like to go sometime and as I booked with a NR deposit I just have to play the waiting game.

Edited February 5, 2021 by mek

[NateUpNorth]

11 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Doing it until the end of Oct would have accomplished the same thing.  This just makes them sound tougher to the uninformed.

 

Or they now know they aren't going to hit their "everyone who wants the vaccine will have it by Sept" target in any way, shape or form, and thus more border type controls are going to be extended or implemented? Like you said, this looks good, but I have a feeling it's more than optics at play.

I'd actually expect there may be several other "destination" countries that may go this route.

[A&L_Ont]

40 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

Or they now know they aren't going to hit their "everyone who wants the vaccine will have it by Sept" target in any way, shape or form, and thus more border type controls are going to be extended or implemented? Like you said, this looks good, but I have a feeling it's more than optics at play.

 

For cruises IMO it's pure optics.  However there are lots of optics and strategy at play with this rollout. As for delayed vaccinations it certainly appears to be a reality for many of us, and ever day it is becoming more real.  

 

Supposedly all wanting to have the jab in Canada were to be vaccinated by the September.  Now in the last few days the Feds are touting a Canadian developed vaccine and manufacturing plant.  It's human trials have not even been completed let alone just starting.  The factory is not to be completed until September.  Why tout something that should not really be needed, unless it will be and its optics. 

 

AstraZeneca has been under Canadian approval for close to two months and has not yet approved.  The cynic in me thinks it won't be approved until the day before it is to be shipped here.  After all, why rush an approval when they know they can not get it.  Pure optics.

 

With these vaccine pit falls the Feds are facing, it will hopefully delay a March snap election.  I don't want delays but I sure don't want an election next month.  IMO the last thing Canada needs is an unneeded/self-serving election during a pandemic, only to forward the party in power.  All parties play the same games and my frustration would be the same for any party doing this... Rant over.