joepeka Posted May 14, 2021 #1 Share Posted May 14, 2021 One step closer to cruises resuming to Alaska without calling on a foreign port during the itinerary: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/25000-2021-alaska-cruise-season-may-be-saved-as-senate-passes-key-bill.html 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailingships Posted May 14, 2021 #2 Share Posted May 14, 2021 If we dont have to visit Victoria maybe they will add another Alaska port - Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan Only 3 of them are in the current itineraries I hope Carnival has a 2021 season in Alaska after all.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly333 Posted May 14, 2021 #3 Share Posted May 14, 2021 6 minutes ago, sailingships said: If we dont have to visit Victoria maybe they will add another Alaska port - Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan Only 3 of them are in the current itineraries I hope Carnival has a 2021 season in Alaska after all.. When I did miracle to alaska the canada stop was later in the day and barely had time to walk to town, look around and get back on board. It's almost more of a technical stop then a real port. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linsuesue Posted May 14, 2021 #4 Share Posted May 14, 2021 18 minutes ago, sailingships said: If we dont have to visit Victoria maybe they will add another Alaska port - Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan Only 3 of them are in the current itineraries I hope Carnival has a 2021 season in Alaska after all.. If they could skip Victoria and add another Alaska city, that would be an even bigger boost for Alaska’s economy. I have never been to Sitka and would love to go there. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mexicobob Posted May 14, 2021 #5 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Pigs will fly before the government changes the law to bypass Canada for a cruise to Alaska from the US. Do not get your hopes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bgcruising Posted May 14, 2021 #6 Share Posted May 14, 2021 We will see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCBarker Posted May 14, 2021 #7 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Am I correct in assuming this rule is in place because of the Jones Act? If so, too bad this would only allow cruise ships to bypass the Act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbrucern Posted May 14, 2021 #8 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Remember it is not just stopping in Canada, Canada also said Canadian waters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProgRockCruiser Posted May 14, 2021 #9 Share Posted May 14, 2021 21 minutes ago, dbrucern said: Remember it is not just stopping in Canada, Canada also said Canadian waters That would affect the sailing route, since they'd have to bypass the Strait of Georgia, not even sure it would add much time, but would mean more open water cruising vs the calmer stuff in the Strait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKStafford Posted May 14, 2021 #10 Share Posted May 14, 2021 4 hours ago, SCBarker said: Am I correct in assuming this rule is in place because of the Jones Act? If so, too bad this would only allow cruise ships to bypass the Act. Not the Jones Act, but the Passenger Vessel Services Act. Jones Act just applies to cargo ships. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted May 14, 2021 #11 Share Posted May 14, 2021 4 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said: That would affect the sailing route, since they'd have to bypass the Strait of Georgia, not even sure it would add much time, but would mean more open water cruising vs the calmer stuff in the Strait. The route would be on the Pacific Ocean side of Vancouver Island - No Canadian inside passage Strait of Georgia (think Campbell River narrows) - While this would be in rougher waters than the Canadian inside passage there would fewer restrictions on the speed The inside passage USA portion is north of Ketchikan Juneau Skagway Icy Strait Point - Sitka is approached from the Pacific Ocean Adding in the glaciers would take a day away from a port call - All these would be possible from Seattle A different mix of ports and glaciers for cruises between Seattle and Anchorage (Seward) 7 days each direction - but any cruise here is acceptable - - - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted May 14, 2021 #12 Share Posted May 14, 2021 Re: SITKA Is not in the inside passage with Icy Skag Jnu Ket and the glaciers MAP Reference: Google Maps Sitka is in the middle of map image - zoom in or out for more detail NCL has a limited presence visiting this port. Best consider Holland-America Princess or Carnival Also note Sitka is a tender port with one prime anchoring point for the tender - With a second ship the tender trip is quite long reducing the port visit time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted May 14, 2021 #13 Share Posted May 14, 2021 (edited) 16 hours ago, mexicobob said: Pigs will fly before the government changes the law to bypass Canada for a cruise to Alaska from the US. Do not get your hopes up. An administrator friend in my school district never thought I would buy a computer after I retired. He was one of the first two e-mails that I sent after I got the computer set up. His response was: '"My God! Pigs can fly!" Never say never! Edited May 14, 2021 by rkacruiser 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Aurora Posted May 14, 2021 #14 Share Posted May 14, 2021 6 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said: Also note Sitka is a tender port with one prime anchoring point for the tender - With a second ship the tender trip is quite long reducing the port visit time Actually, a dock was built north of Sitka several years ago. Shuttle buses are used to move folks from the dock to the Harrigan Centennial Hall. I don't recall when it was built but the first time we docked there on a cruise ship was in 2013. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don't-use-real-name Posted May 14, 2021 #15 Share Posted May 14, 2021 12 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said: Actually, a dock was built north of Sitka several years ago. Shuttle buses are used to move folks from the dock to the Harrigan Centennial Hall. I don't recall when it was built but the first time we docked there on a cruise ship was in 2013. Thanks for the Update - last I was in Sitka was 2011 HAL Westerdam Map image shows that dock (pier) at the end of Halibut Point Road about some 2 miles from Sitka city proper: Google Maps Lots of Russian Orthodox history - Sitka was the Russian Alaska capitol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyMac72 Posted May 15, 2021 #16 Share Posted May 15, 2021 1 hour ago, haolenate said: Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500. Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer. Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞 Tell Juneau I am coming there as fast as I can... and bringing my money! 🙂 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joepeka Posted May 15, 2021 Author #17 Share Posted May 15, 2021 1 hour ago, haolenate said: Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500. Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer. Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞 We were in Juneau in late summer 2019 and really liked the city. Since then, in my dreams, I even thought about a summer home there (get away from the Phoenix AZ heat) but then financial realities set in and I fell back to the desert earth. Hoping things improve for you up there as it's a wonderful area. 🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted May 15, 2021 #18 Share Posted May 15, 2021 On 5/14/2021 at 4:59 AM, dbrucern said: Remember it is not just stopping in Canada, Canada also said Canadian waters Affirmative, Canada has banned cruise ships from operating in Canadian Waters. Even if cruise ships receive a PVSA exemption and don't have to visit a foreign port, they will also need to negotiate access to Canadian Waters. The US/Canada border is down the middle of Juan de Fuca, which has an IMO approved Marine Traffic Separation Scheme. The inbound lanes are in US Waters, but the outbound lanes are mostly in Canadian Waters. Therefore, for a cruise ship to depart from Seattle they will have to receive approval to enter and transit Canadian Waters. Since this Traffic Separation Scheme is IMO approved, ship must comply with Collision Regulation # 10, which requires ships to navigate in the correct lane and to avoid the separation zone and inshore zone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Italy52 Posted May 15, 2021 #19 Share Posted May 15, 2021 22 hours ago, haolenate said: Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500. Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer. Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞 We still have one Alaska cruise on the books for the month of August. We are keeping our fingers crossed it will happen for you all. I know it isn't much, but we will be doing an independent trip to Juneau in June. We will be flying in for a few days and taking a couple of our favorite excursions. We have taken many cruises with Juneau as a port stop --- it will seem so strange to come into town without all the tourist milling around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diesel1973 Posted May 15, 2021 #20 Share Posted May 15, 2021 Will also be up in Eagle River for 7 weeks this summer. Last year when I went into Anchorage you could roll a bowling ball down the sidewalks and not hit anyone. So depressing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted May 15, 2021 #21 Share Posted May 15, 2021 22 hours ago, haolenate said: Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500. Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer. Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞 The Interin Order exempts passenger ferries, providing they comply with local Public Health Orders to reduce the spread of COVID. The AMS ships were treated the same as the BC Ferries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nini Posted May 16, 2021 #22 Share Posted May 16, 2021 14 hours ago, Heidi13 said: Affirmative, Canada has banned cruise ships from operating in Canadian Waters. Even if cruise ships receive a PVSA exemption and don't have to visit a foreign port, they will also need to negotiate access to Canadian Waters. The US/Canada border is down the middle of Juan de Fuca, which has an IMO approved Marine Traffic Separation Scheme. The inbound lanes are in US Waters, but the outbound lanes are mostly in Canadian Waters. Therefore, for a cruise ship to depart from Seattle they will have to receive approval to enter and transit Canadian Waters. Since this Traffic Separation Scheme is IMO approved, ship must comply with Collision Regulation # 10, which requires ships to navigate in the correct lane and to avoid the separation zone and inshore zone. I thought Canada only ruled that the ports were closed. So the waterways are closed? Bummer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted May 16, 2021 #23 Share Posted May 16, 2021 11 hours ago, nini said: I thought Canada only ruled that the ports were closed. So the waterways are closed? Bummer Here is a link to the actual Interim Order. If the US approves the waiver to PVSA, it isn't a guaranteed show stopper, but another hoop for cruise lines to jump through. https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2021/02/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nini Posted May 16, 2021 #24 Share Posted May 16, 2021 Thanks. I did not realize that about the waters too. Your water, your rules. I wonder why they are allowing the ferries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d9704011 Posted May 16, 2021 #25 Share Posted May 16, 2021 13 minutes ago, nini said: Thanks. I did not realize that about the waters too. Your water, your rules. I wonder why they are allowing the ferries? Best to look at the entire Interim Order, not the News Release. Here is an excerpt from the Order... Prohibition Prohibition — Canadian waters other than arctic waters 3 It is prohibited to navigate, moor, anchor or berth in Canadian waters, other than arctic waters, if (a) the passenger vessel is certified to carry more than 100 persons as indicated on its inspection certificate or Passenger Ship Safety Certificate issued under the Vessel Certificates Regulations or on an equivalent certificate issued by a foreign government; and (b) the passenger vessel is equipped with berths or cabins for overnight travel by passengers. Prohibition — arctic waters 4 It is prohibited for a passenger vessel to enter arctic waters from any other waters. Exceptions 5 (1) Sections 3 and 4 do not apply to (a) a vessel that is in distress or providing assistance to a vessel or person in distress; (b) a vessel that is forced to navigate, moor, anchor or berth to avoid immediate danger; (c)a vessel that is engaged in research and that is operated by or under the authority of the Government of Canada, or at its request, or operated by a provincial government, a local authority or a government, council or other entity authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group; (d) a vessel that carries (i) employees of the Government of Canada or a provincial or territorial government, or (ii) peace officers who require a transportation service in the course of performing their duties or functions; (e) a foreign vessel in the territorial sea of Canada that is exercising the right of innocent passage in accordance with international law and article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, done at Montego Bay on 10 December 1982; and (f) a vessel that is not in service. Foreign vessels in certain waters (2) Despite section 3, a foreign vessel may, in the Great Lakes, the Inside Passage, the St. Lawrence River, the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the St. Lawrence Seaway (a) navigate, if passage is expeditious; and (b) moor, berth or anchor if those activities are incidental to the passage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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