There will be no major cruises in Canada this year, as the Canadian government has extended its ban on cruise operations until February 2022.
The extensive ban complicates the efforts of shipping operators to resume shipping in North America this year, which has extended their interruptions since shipping came to a halt in March 2020 due to coronavirus outbreaks on ships. The ban would expire later this month.
The Canadian measure applies to cruise ships carrying 100 or more people, and prohibits passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people from entering Arctic coastal waters, including Nunatsiavut, Nunavik and the Labrador coast, Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said. , said. Adventurous pleasure craft are also prohibited from entering the North Pole, he added.
“Temporary bans on vessels and pleasure craft are essential to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and to prevent our healthcare systems from being overwhelmed,” he said. Alghabra said. “It’s the right and responsible thing to do.”
Sailing from American regions such as New England and Alaska usually stops in Canada. Canadian ports reported visits of more than 1 million cruise passengers in 2019, primarily to Vancouver and ports in Canada’s Maritime Provinces.
Members of the Cruise Lines International Association served 29.7 million passengers in 2019, more than half of whom came from North America.
The long-standing ban is the latest in a series of measures by the Canadian government to restrict travel to and from the country in an effort to mitigate the spread of new coronavirus variants. Although the number of cases of Covid-19 withdrew from the peaks in early January, Canada’s rollout against the vaccine was much slower than expected. The rate of Canadian vaccinations is behind most advanced economies, including the US and the UK
Those who violate the ban on passenger vessels could face up to 1 million Canadian dollars, equivalent to about $ 779,000, up to 18 months in prison or both, the government said. Cruise ships with 100 or fewer people are subject to local health authority protocols, the government said.
According to the government, the equipment of local Arctic residents used for essential transportation, fishing, harvesting and hunting will not be subject.
Carnival Cruise Line Operators, Royal Caribbean Group RCL 2.05%
and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.
NCLH 3.35%
scrapped their U.S. cruises until April 30th. Carnival Corp.
CCL 2.98%
By the end of the year, CEO Arnold Donald had targeted the resumption of service for all ships, he said in January.
The timing of U.S. voyages ultimately depends on the receipt of a permit from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which requires operators to conduct ridiculous voyages and apply for a certificate for at least 60 days before offering passenger shipping. Like the Canadian government, the CDC discourages cruise travel.
Over nearly five decades, Carnival has assembled a worldwide fleet of cruise ships. But in the face of a pandemic, the health authorities are asking passengers and operators like Carnival to sail safely ahead. WSJ’s Carter McCall explains. Photo: Getty Images
—Jacquie McNish contributed to this article.
Write to Dave Sebastian by [email protected]
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