Canada Ban on Large Cruise Ships Extended Thru October 31

by Jim Byers
Last updated: 12:30 PM ET, Fri May 29, 2020

"The Government of Canada continues to monitor the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts it is having on the marine and tourism sectors," the Ministry of Transportation said in a press release. "Keeping Canadians and transportation workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic is Transport Canada's top priority.

"Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, announced updated measures pertaining to cruise ships and passenger vessels in Canadian waters. Cruise ships with overnight accommodations allowed to carry more than 100 persons are prohibited from operating in Canadian waters until October 31, 2020.

"As of July 1, 2020, all other passenger vessels must follow provincial, territorial, local and regional health authority requirements for timelines and processes to resume operations. Passenger vessels with the capacity to carry more than 12 persons continue to be prohibited from entering Arctic coastal waters (including Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and the Labrador Coast) until October 31, 2020."

It's an understandable move to protect the health of Canadians, but there's no doubt it will have a big impact on the cruise industry and on travel agents who had booked clients on summer or fall trips. The move also will badly damage parts of Canada that rely heavily on summer and fall cruises for visitors; mostly Vancouver, Quebec and the Maritime provinces, plus Newfoundland and Labrador.

In March, Ottawa had announced a ban on cruise ships carrying more than 500 passengers until July 1.

A post on the Royal Caribbean blog site said the ban "makes operating cruises to Alaska or New England effectively impossible because U.S. cabotage laws require foreign-flagged vessels leaving from a U.S. port of call to first call on a "distant foreign port" before returning to the United States.

Royal Caribbean had already cancelled its Alaska and Canada cruises through the end of July in conjunction with its voluntary global suspension of cruises.