Canada Crashes Northern Cruise Market Again – Other Cruise News: Valentine’s Cruise For 2022 – UK No-Fly Tall Ship Cruises This Summer
by Kevin Griffin
Two weeks ago, Canada once again put a ban on cruise ships entering Canadian waters, primarily to prevent that country from acquiring more unwanted cases of Corona-19 from outside of Canada. But not only do these decisions affect Canada and the Vancouver-Alaska trade, but also the Seattle-Alaska trade, Great Lakes cruising, the Canada/New England cruise trade and cruises in the Canadian Arctic. This week, we also look at a Valentine’s Day cruise for 2022 and some no fly tall ship cruises from Harwich for this year.
THIS WEEK’S STORY
Canada Crashes Northern Cruise Market Again
Queen Elizabeth’s maiden visit to Vancouver, BC. – May 21, 2019 (Photo by William Jans for Cunard)
On February 4, the Canadian Government announced a new order that will prohibit cruise ships from entering Canadian waters until February 28, 2022.
The ruling will not only kill the 2021 Vancouver-Alaska cruise season but also the Seattle Alaska business, which relies on a Canadian call to make these voyages legitimate.
As well as Alaska, other cruise seasons in the Great Lakes, Canada/New England and the Canadian Arctic will also be brought to a standstill, leaving only CTMA’s Canadian-flag Le Vacancier, which trades from Montreal via Gaspé to the Magdalen Islands, and a handful of smaller US-flag ships operated by Alaska Dream Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions and UnCruise Adventures in the Alaska Panhandle.
CTMA’s Canadian-flag Le Vacancier
Cruise vessels carrying 100 or more people will be prohibited from operating in Canadian waters, as will passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people entering Arctic coastal waters, including Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Labrador Coast.
The orders are meant to prevent the spread of Covid-19 into and within Canada. In addition, Canada continues to advise its citizens and residents to avoid all travel on cruise ships outside Canada until further notice.
In addition to Canadian waters, two potential avenues for foreign-flag cruise ships to sail to Alaska without violating US cabotage are seen as unlikely.
One of those, the idea of Canada allowing technical stops for cruise ships carrying passengers, without anyone disembarking, has been ruled out by the would be Canadian hosts of such calls, primarily Victoria BC, while exemptions from the US Passenger Vessel Services Act, which governs the US passenger coasting trade, are seen as highly unlikely.
The Ogden Point cruise ship terminal (Courtesy Greater Victoria Harbour Authority)
The Government of Canada will continue to evaluate the situation and make changes as necessary to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians.
Should the Covid-19 pandemic sufficiently improve to allow the resumption of these activities, the Minister of Transport has the power to rescind the interim orders.
OTHER CRUISE NEWS
Valentine’s Day Cruise For 2022
Celebrity Apex (Credit: Bernard Biger – Chantiers de l’Atlantique)
If you missed taking a Valentine cruise this year because none were available, then why not take your special Valentine on a luxury cruise in 2022?
For example, the brand-new Celebrity Apex departs Fort Lauderdale on 12th February on a 7-night voyage to San Juan, Puerto Rico; St Thomas, US Virgin Islands and and St Kitts, from £1,389 including drinks, WiFi and tips. Longer cruises also available.
Apply to The Cruise People for more details.
UK No-Fly Tall Ship Cruises This Summer
For those who want to travel sooner than 2022 The Cruise People have a limited number of cabins available in July and August 2021 on the 272-berth tall ship Golden Horizon.
Golden Horizon (Former Flying Clipper to Sail for Tradewind Voyages – Credit Brodosplit Shipyard)
Operated by Tradewind Cruises, the Golden Horizon will offer round voyages from Harwich on July 24 (11 nights from £2,199) to Stavanger, Leirvik, Sognefjord, Skjolden, Bergen & Haugesund; August 4 (10 nights from £2,299) to Cowes, Dartmouth, Falmouth, St Mary’s, St Peterport & St Helier; August 14 (7 nights from £1,399) to Stavanger, Hardangerfjord, Odda, & Rosendal; and August 21 (7 nights from £1,449) to Skagen, Aalborg, Copenhagen & Fredrikshaven.
All cabins are outside. Two longer 21-night voyages are also available on June 12 and July 3, 2021.
Apply to The Cruise People for more details.
(Kevin Griffin is managing director of The Cruise People Ltd in London, England. For further information concerning cruises mentioned in this article readers can visit his blog)
