Canada extend cruise ban till Feb 2022

[transatlantic fan]

Just been announced. 

Not sure how this affects Cunard.

[babs135]

Government of Canada announces one-year ban for pleasure craft and cruise vessels  - Canada.ca

 

Not a huge surprise 

[bluemarble]

No direct impact yet on QE's 2022 Canada/Alaska season since that isn't scheduled to start until June 2022.

 

On the face of it, this announcement would appear to directly impact this year's QM2 New England/Canada voyages including the following.

 

M120: Jun 30-Jul 6, 2021 (New York, Halifax, Boston, New York)

M133: Oct 1-8, 2021 (New York, Boston, Sydney, Quebec)

M134: Oct 8-15, 2021 (Quebec, Saguenay, Sept-Iles, Halifax, New York)

 

I suspect these QM2 voyages were already in some jeopardy, especially the one in June/July, with regard to being able to operate out of the US. Now it would appear they can't go forward because of this extension to the Canadian cruise ban.

[babs135]

Guess I can kiss goodbye to our New England/Canada cruise in September. 28 nights of bliss gone in the stroke of a pen!

[bluemarble]

6 minutes ago, babs135 said:

Guess I can kiss goodbye to our New England/Canada cruise in September. 28 nights of bliss gone in the stroke of a pen!

 

Who knows, if Cunard is able to resume transatlantic crossings by September, I suppose they might consider scheduling two more crossings to take the place of the 14 nights to Quebec and back (Oct 1-15). That could turn into a different sort of 28 nights of bliss for you, doing B2B2B2B crossings during those same dates!

[Lanky Lad]

I am assuming that Cunard can't do New England without a stop in Canada as this would be a USA round trip.  My thoughts are with all those in Canada who rely on cruise ships to earn a living.

[david,Mississauga]

It will be especially difficult for those in Halifax and Vancouver which get most of the cruise ship calls.

Nova Scotia doesn't want people visiting the province for the foreseeable future. Anyone entering the province must go into self-quarantine for 14 days. It is just as well that Cunard previously cancelled the planned Vancouver-Alaska season for this year.

[Vict0riann]

On our local news this evening, the report was that the cancellation of cruising in BC alone, until the end of next February, will affect 15,000 jobs.  A big loss to the economy.

[Splice the mainbrace]

10 hours ago, babs135 said:

Guess I can kiss goodbye to our New England/Canada cruise in September. 28 nights of bliss gone in the stroke of a pen!

 

We are booked on that one as well, it was for a big birthday of my wife. It was looking unlikely to go ahead anyway before this announcement, at least the 'will it, won't it take place' has been answered.

 

We will now look at holidays / cruises elsewhere at that time that are more likely to take place, even if in the UK.

[babs135]

30 minutes ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

 

We are booked on that one as well, it was for a big birthday of my wife. It was looking unlikely to go ahead anyway before this announcement, at least the 'will it, won't it take place' has been answered.

 

We will now look at holidays / cruises elsewhere at that time that are more likely to take place, even if in the UK.

The protocols that Cunard have put in place don't appeal to us at all and we were giving some thought to 'lift and shift' yet again before we had to pay the balance due in June.  Initial choice would have been Alaska but I don't think I'm prepared to risk booking anything at the moment.  We will now wait to hear from our travel agent and take the refunded deposit.  The few pennies interest it will earn is better in our bank than with Cunard who, along with other lines, are really going to struggle to see through this further enforced change of plans.

We will be back!!

[Splice the mainbrace]

1 minute ago, babs135 said:

The protocols that Cunard have put in place don't appeal to us at all and we were giving some thought to 'lift and shift' yet again before we had to pay the balance due in June.  Initial choice would have been Alaska but I don't think I'm prepared to risk booking anything at the moment.  We will now wait to hear from our travel agent and take the refunded deposit.  The few pennies interest it will earn is better in our bank than with Cunard who, along with other lines, are really going to struggle to see through this further enforced change of plans.

We will be back!!

 

We were thinking the same re the protocols and deposit refund. Cunard charged 15% deposit on this cruise which due it's length is a not an inconsiderable sum, we have moved a P&O deposit twice as it is only a 5% deposit on a cheaper cruise.

Our next booked cruise is with P&O in October 2022 and will probably not book anything cruise wise before then. My son, who lives in Australia, is planning to get married in the Far East in June 2022 so decisions will need to be made at the appropriate time (6 months?) regarding flights, hotels  and the likelihood of it going ahead. It really is an uncertain time at the moment and as someone who likes to plan ahead it is very frustrating but we are where we are.

[Underwatr]

20 hours ago, Lanky Lad said:

I am assuming that Cunard can't do New England without a stop in Canada as this would be a USA round trip.  My thoughts are with all those in Canada who rely on cruise ships to earn a living.

 

Conceivably a PSVA waiver could be put in place under the circunstances, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Windsurfboy]

9 hours ago, Splice the mainbrace said:

 

 

Our next booked cruise is with P&O in October 2022 and will probably not book anything cruise wise before then. My son, who lives in Australia, is planning to get married in the Far East in June 2022 so decisions will need to be made at the appropriate time (6 months?) regarding flights, hotels  and the likelihood of it going ahead. It really is an uncertain time at the moment and as someone who likes to plan ahead it is very frustrating but we are where we are.

 

Like you our next cruises arent untill 2022,  April South Africa to UK, which I think won't go ahead. Also the black  sea from UK end May which I'm more hopeful about. But my number 1 travel concern is when will Australia let us go and see our son and granddaughters,  praying we don't have to wait till 2022 but not hopeful. 

 

Hope Australia opens up and your son can not only leave for his wedding but also get back into OZ afterwards, and we can see grandchildren.  My son works for AZ Australia  vaccine going ahead.

[david,Mississauga]

The three Canada voyages were showing on Cunard's site Friday afternoon. I was checking the one we are booked on (M134) and it disappeared as I had it on the screen. The three are now gone and a search by cruise number shows it is an invalid  number.

 

I have not been notified that it has been cancelled. Until a a few months ago the New York - Québec - New York voyage was being sold as one 14-day trip as well as two seven-day trips. Cunard said the 14-day trip was removed from the booking site because of the U.S. restriction on cruises over seven days, but they said  it wasn't cancelled.  Perhaps Cunard is waiting to see if there will be a change to the rules.

 

Holland America is still selling the Alaska cruises for this year, but all but one of the east coast Canada cruises has been removed from their site.

[kmerlin14]

4 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

The three Canada voyages were showing on Cunard's site Friday afternoon. I was checking the one we are booked on (M134) and it disappeared as I had it on the screen. The three are now gone and a search by cruise number shows it is an invalid  number.

 

I have not been notified that it has been cancelled. Until a a few months ago the New York - Québec - New York voyage was being sold as one 14-day trip as well as two seven-day trips. Cunard said the 14-day trip was removed from the booking site because of the U.S. restriction on cruises over seven days, but they said  it wasn't cancelled.  Perhaps Cunard is waiting to see if there will be a change to the rules.

 

Holland America is still selling the Alaska cruises for this year, but all but one of the east coast Canada cruises has been removed from their site.

Cunard was a little late cancelling our October 2020 cruise after the ban last time, so I'm sure it will come. We ended up cancelling before they did because they had extended the cruise ship ban and our payment was due. They put our FCD back into the pool and we were able to use it to rebook another cruise for May 2022 which seemed far enough away that it would be safe, but now I'm not so sure.

 

[babs135]

Is there any information about the Canadian decision to keep their border closed until February 2022 on the website?  I've just looked and couldn't see anything.  However, if, for example, you go to the Princess website there is a link to the information.   Surely Cunard should be keeping their paying passengers up to speed?  There may well be some people who still haven't heard the news.

 

The only thing I could find is that if you put USA/Canada (our cruise) into the destination box the 2021 calendar comes up greyed out.  I can still access my booking but there is no information to say that it may not go ahead. 

[Meliador]

My husband and I are booked on M133 in October 2021 (postponing the June 2020  Soton-Le Havre-NYC transatlantic we were supposed to take). I will be reaching out to our travel agent this week and figure out what will happen. I will post updates, if/when I have them. All we have at risk is our original deposit (Q6 room).

 

[david,Mississauga]

On 2/7/2021 at 5:19 AM, babs135 said:

Is there any information about the Canadian decision to keep their border closed until February 2022 on the website?  I've just looked and couldn't see anything.  However, if, for example, you go to the Princess website there is a link to the information.   Surely Cunard should be keeping their paying passengers up to speed?  There may well be some people who still haven't heard the news.

 

The only thing I could find is that if you put USA/Canada (our cruise) into the destination box the 2021 calendar comes up greyed out.  I can still access my booking but there is no information to say that it may not go ahead. 

 

The border semi-closure is not in effect until February 2022. It is a changing situation, but the closure of the land border is in effect until the 21st of this month. It has been extended on a month-to-month basis. Very soon anyone flying into Canada from anywhere will have to go into a three-day quarantine in a hotel (at an estimated cost of $2000) then, if the COVID-19 test result is negative,  continue the rest of the 14-day self-quarantine somewhere else. Nothing is certain yet.

 

The U.S. permits Canadians to fly in and many so-called "snowbirds" have flown to the U.S. for the winter. Many have had their cars shipped across the border as they cannot drive them into the U.S. They will be permitted to drive home. So far there is no indication that  Canadians returning by car will have to pay for their mandatory three-day quarantine, only those entering by air.

 

It is strange that Cunard doesn't mention the one-year ban on cruise ships that carry more than 100 people from Canadian waters. I can still access my booking information for voyage M134.

[ClipperinSFO]

A Feb 5 article in Seatrade-Cruise news confirmed that "Canada says no to 'technical' calls with passengers, PVSA exemption seen as unlikely" (link to the article below).  I had been wondering about the impact of Canada's ban on the TA crossings that sail close to Canadian waters. QM2 often puts into/airlifts critically ill passengers and crew into Halifax.  If that's not an option, and Canada is well and truly closed to big cruise ships, what then?  What will Carnival UK Marine Ops will make of these restrictions for a QM2 crossing when US and UK ports are re-opened and TAs can re-start?

 

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/legal-regulatory/canada-says-no-technical-calls-passengers-pvsa-exemption-seen-unlikely

 

[david,Mississauga]

7 hours ago, ClipperinSFO said:

...

I had been wondering about the impact of Canada's ban on the TA crossings that sail close to Canadian waters. QM2 often puts into/airlifts critically ill passengers and crew into Halifax.  If that's not an option, and Canada is well and truly closed to big cruise ships, what then? 

...

 

 

A posting by a Canadian member on the Holland America forum quotes an order, dated October  30, 2020, issued by then Transport Minister Marc Garneau. This part pertains to emergencies.

 

"Exceptions

5 (1) Sections 3 and 4 do not apply to

(a) a vessel that is in distress or providing assistance to a vessel  or person in distress"

 

5 (e) is also interesting as it refers to the right of innocent passage.  Also of interest is  (2) pertaining to passage in specific Canadian waters, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Inside Passage.

 

https://tc.canada.ca/en/ministerial-orders-interim-orders-directives-directions-response-letters/interim-order-no-4-respecting-passenger-vessel-restrictions-due-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

 

 

[ClipperinSFO]

10 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

A posting by a Canadian member on the Holland America forum quotes an order, dated October  30, 2020, issued by then Transport Minister Marc Garneau. This part pertains to emergencies.

 

"Exceptions

5 (1) Sections 3 and 4 do not apply to

(a) a vessel that is in distress or providing assistance to a vessel  or person in distress"

 

5 (e) is also interesting as it refers to the right of innocent passage.  Also of interest is  (2) pertaining to passage in specific Canadian waters, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Inside Passage.

 

https://tc.canada.ca/en/ministerial-orders-interim-orders-directives-directions-response-letters/interim-order-no-4-respecting-passenger-vessel-restrictions-due-coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

 

 

 

Thanks so much David, this is very helpful (and insightful).  Also in reading the regulation, ships will be able to transit Canadian territorial waters, so to my read, TAs should be ok.

 

• (e) a foreign vessel in the territorial sea of Canada that is exercising the right of innocent passage in accordance with international law and article 19 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, done at Montego Bay on 10 December 1982; and

 

Now what happens to any re-swizzled Cunard schedules due to Canadian cancellations thats another matter.  I guess we have to saty tuned.  Bermuda anyone?

[ew101]

Nobody wants the now familiar Coast Guard radio call: "Err yea somehow we have 150 COVID-19 cases aboard.  Can you send your helicopters to rescue them?  And a lot of them need ventilators?  We are clearly in distress here..." 

[lemon tree]

There is a message about the cruises impacted on the Cunard site now. Not much information though, we still have to wait. 

[Vict0riann]

After reading the Cunard info, I am wondering what this refers to (and if it has anything to do with Alaska cruises):

 

"Cunard has reviewed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Framework for Conditional Sailing and is seeking additional clarification to fully understand the requirements." 

 

If it is referring to the ships sailing to US ports having to be cruises fewer than 8 days, I thought Cunard had that in hand - at least for crossings.

[Splice the mainbrace]

Why Hasn't My Alaska Cruise Been Canceled? (cruisecritic.co.uk)

 

Article is about the Canada cruise ban.