Canada Bans Large Cruise Ships Through February, 2022: Huge Blow to Canadian Tourism

Canada Bans Large Cruise Ships Through February, 2022: Huge Blow to Canadian Tourism

February 4, 2021 Jim Byers

The government of Canada will ban large cruise ships from Canadian waters all the way through to the end of February of next year.

The Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, today announced two new Interim Orders, which prohibit pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters and large cruise vessels in all Canadian waters until February 28, 2022. This means:

Cruise vessels carrying 100 or more people are still prohibited from operating in Canadian waters.
Adventure-seeking pleasure craft are still prohibited from entering Arctic waters.
Passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people are still prohibited from entering Arctic coastal waters, including Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, and the Labrador Coast.

Pleasure craft used by local Arctic residents will not be affected by these measures.

Banning larger cruise ships from Canadian waters is a massive blow to an already reeling cruise industry, which usually operates dozens of ships in the waters off British Columbia and in Atlantic Canada and Quebec. It’s also a major economic hit for businesses and workers in Vancouver and Victoria who rely on the cruise industry. The same goes for Nova Scotia and the other Maritime provinces, as well as Newfoundland and Quebec, all popular stops for summer and fall cruise holidays.

“With these prohibitions in place, public health authorities will be able to continue focusing on the most pressing issues, including the vaccine rollout and new COVID-19 variants,” government officials said.

To limit the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Canada continues to advise Canadian citizens and permanent residents to avoid all travel on cruise ships outside Canada until further notice.

Essential passenger vessels, such as ferries and water taxis, should continue to follow local public health guidance and protocols, and follow\ mitigation measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and prevent future outbreaks. These could include: reducing the number of passengers, ensuring physical distancing, the wearing of masks, and enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures.

Cruise vessels in Canadian waters pose a risk to our health care systems. 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 ability to rescind the Interim Orders.

“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,” said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra. “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.”