This summer’s Alaska cruise season is in jeopardy after the Canadian government extended a cruise ship ban for a year until February 2022.
Canada’s transport minister Omar Alghabra announced an interim extension of the country’s prohibition on cruise vessels carrying more than 100 people from operating in Canadian waters.
The order also prohibits passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people from entering Arctic coastal waters.
Unless the US gives cruise ships relief from the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA), which mandates that foreign-flagged ships call on at least one foreign port on any US itinerary, the ruling would effectively end any hopes for large ship cruising in Alaska this summer.
Big ships operating in Alaska come under the jurisdiction of both Canada and the US, and cruises either begin, end or call in Vancouver and Victoria as part of Alaska itineraries.
The late summer Canada/New England season is also at risk unless the order is rescinded by then based on improving conditions.
The temporary cruise ban had been due to end on February 28.
But Alghabra said: “As Canadians continue to do their part to reduce the spread of Covid-19, our government continues to work hard to ensure Canada’s transportation system remains safe.
“Temporary prohibitions to cruise vessels and pleasure craft are essential to continue to protect the most vulnerable among our communities and avoid overwhelming our health care systems. This is the right and responsible thing to do.”
Transport Canada, which said that cruise vessels in Canadian waters “pose a risk” to its healthcare systems, also advised Canadian citizens and permanent residents to avoid all travel on cruise ships outside Canada until further notice.
“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,” the transport department added.
The Vancouver-based north-west and Canada arm of cruise industry body Clia said it was “surprised by the length of the extension” of the ban.
Chair Charlie Ball said: “While we understand and support the government’s focus on combatting Covid-19 in Canada, we are surprised by the length of the extension of the prohibition of cruise.
“We hope to have an opportunity to revisit this timeline and demonstrate our ability to address Covid-19 in a cruise setting with science-backed measures, as Clia members are doing in Europe and parts of Asia where cruising has resumed on a limited basis.
Clia pointed out that the pandemic is having a “devastating impact” on local businesses.
Two years without cruising in Canada will have “potentially irreversible consequences” for families throughout the country.
The cruise industry generated a total of $4.25 billion in economic activity in Canada in 2019, a 33% increase from 2016, according to Clia data.
Further, 29,000 Canadian jobs paying $1.43 billion in wages were generated in 2019 – a 26% increase in employment and 43% increase in wages since 2016.
“We stand ready to work with Canadian health and transportation officials to operationalise a path forward,” Ball added.
Carnival Corporation said: “Given the unexpected length of the order, it will take us some time to assess whether there are any options to preserve a portion of the 2021 Alaska season.
“We will be consulting authorities in both the US and Canada before we take any additional action.”