New Canadian Cruise Requirements - Alaska Cruise Season in Jeopardy Again?

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, Woody14 said:

Canadian Government is scheduled to make an announcement about cruising from Canada on Monday March 7 from the port in Halifax so hopefully good news is coming.

Please come back and post.

[lovesthebeachx4]

6 hours ago, Woody14 said:

Canadian Government is scheduled to make an announcement about cruising from Canada on Monday March 7 from the port in Halifax so hopefully good news is coming.

I'll second that... please come back and post!! 

[retrieverdad]

Following

 

[Buddysmom10]

My final payment is due 3/10 so I'll wait until after the 3/7 update to decide what to do.  

[wilsonz6]

Here is the link regarding the announcement on March 7, 2022. I believe it will be a positive announcement as we are also cruising out of Vancouver on April 29.  

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/federal-minister-of-transport-to-make-an-important-announcement-on-the-return-of-cruise-ships-in-canada-and-on-trade-funding-at-the-port-of-halifax.html

 

[LMKakaThing2]

On 3/5/2022 at 12:03 PM, wilsonz6 said:

Here is the link regarding the announcement on March 7, 2022. I believe it will be a positive announcement as we are also cruising out of Vancouver on April 29.  

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/federal-minister-of-transport-to-make-an-important-announcement-on-the-return-of-cruise-ships-in-canada-and-on-trade-funding-at-the-port-of-halifax.html

 

Have you heard anything? Read that the announcement was going to come at 9:30am AST this morning. I looked but didn’t see anything. 

Edited March 7, 2022 by LMKakaThing2

[Cruiser933]

Here is today’s announcement:

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/preventing-or-limiting-the-spread-of-covid-19-on-cruise-ships.html

[strickerj]

6 minutes ago, LMKakaThing2 said:

Have you heard anything? Read that the announcement was going to come at 8:30am AST this morning. I looked but didn’t see anything. 

The linked page actually says 9:30 now, but it looks like it happened - first search result was this article on an unofficial Disney Cruise Line blog: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/2022/03/canadas-minister-of-transport-shares-new-health-requirements-for-the-2022-return-of-cruise-ships/.

 

In summary, it looks like vaccinations will be required (as expected) with travelers under 12 exempted (unless required by the cruise line, which some do), and molecular test within 72 hours or antigen with 24 hours of both boarding the ship and arriving in Canada.

 

Official release from the government is here: https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/preventing-or-limiting-the-spread-of-covid-19-on-cruise-ships.html

[Glaciers]

I was a bit surprised that all  passengers need to be tested prior to disembarking. The logistics of testing a few thousand people prior to disembarking seems daunting. Hopefully there won't be an additional fee for this.

 

"Disembarking a cruise ship in Canada

• Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before arriving in Canada or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival."

[LMKakaThing2]

5 minutes ago, strickerj said:

The linked page actually says 9:30 now, but it looks like it happened - first search result was this article on an unofficial Disney Cruise Line blog: https://disneycruiselineblog.com/2022/03/canadas-minister-of-transport-shares-new-health-requirements-for-the-2022-return-of-cruise-ships/.

 

In summary, it looks like vaccinations will be required (as expected) with travelers under 12 exempted (unless required by the cruise line, which some do), and molecular test within 72 hours or antigen with 24 hours of both boarding the ship and arriving in Canada.

 

Official release from the government is here: https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2022/03/preventing-or-limiting-the-spread-of-covid-19-on-cruise-ships.html

Thank you! I wonder how the testing requirements will effect cruises arriving into Canada? Sounds like cruise lines are going to have to administer COVID tests before arriving. 

[JT1962]

5 minutes ago, Glaciers said:

I was a bit surprised that all  passengers need to be tested prior to disembarking. The logistics of testing a few thousand people prior to disembarking seems daunting. Hopefully there won't be an additional fee for this.

 

"Disembarking a cruise ship in Canada

• Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before arriving in Canada or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival."

This is why I am concerned that some cruise lines may choose to cancel rather than test everyone onboard. This may also affect excursions going from Skagway into the Yukon.

Edited March 7, 2022 by JT1962

[LMKakaThing2]

4 minutes ago, Glaciers said:

I was a bit surprised that all  passengers need to be tested prior to disembarking. The logistics of testing a few thousand people prior to disembarking seems daunting. Hopefully there won't be an additional fee for this.

 

"Disembarking a cruise ship in Canada

• Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before arriving in Canada or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival."

Unfortunately this doesn’t look good for cruising out of or into Vancouver. I highly doubt cruise lines will want to foot the bill of 3,000-5,000 people every other week. 

[strickerj]

4 minutes ago, LMKakaThing2 said:

Thank you! I wonder how the testing requirements will effect cruises arriving into Canada? Sounds like cruise lines are going to have to administer COVID tests before arriving. 

Yeah, that's how I read it too. I'm feeling better about changing my Vancouver cruise to Seattle. We lose Skagway (where we wanted to take the train/bus tour to Carcross, which might not happen due to the border crossing anyway) but gain Sitka.

 

Sorry, I see someone else posted the link just before me.

[Italy52]

We are doing B2B (Vancouver to Vancouver) for our June Alaska cruise.  As it stands right now, we will need a test to get into Canada, a test to board the ship (if we decide to keep our pre-cruise stay), a test in Whittier (due to beginning of our second leg of the cruise), and a test to get off the ship in Vancouver --- lots of testing.  Then, there is always the chance that we could have to take another test once we arrive at the Vancouver airport should we be pulled aside for a "random test."  We  will also have to do two "ArriveCans".  Looking forward to reading the information from the cruise line (in our case, Princess) and how they plan to handle everything.

[Nofx242]

Now we get to wait and see what the cruise lines do.  I have a Princess Alaskan cruise leaving from Vancouver on May 7th  

 

I don't think this will be a big issue for leaving out of Vancouver since right now you have to have a negative test before boarding anyway.  The or part is nice so it seems to me you need to take a test before flying in to Canada and can use that for the cruise as well if still in the same timeframe.

 

Pre-boarding a cruise ship

• Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before boarding a cruise ship or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled departure.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Nofx242

[LMKakaThing2]

1 minute ago, Nofx242 said:

Now we get to wait and see what the cruise lines do.  I have a Princess Alaskan cruise leaving from Vancouver on May 7th  

 

I don't think this will be a big issue for leaving out of Vancouver since right now you have to have a negative test before boarding anyway.  The or part is nice so it seems to me you need to take a test before flying in to Canada and can use that for the cruise as well if still in the same timeframe.

 

Disembarking a cruise ship in Canada

• Passengers must take a COVID-19 molecular test within 72-hours before arriving in Canada or take an antigen test within one day of the scheduled arrival

The issue with those cruising out of Vancouver is the cruise that disembarks as you get on. All those passengers and crew must be tested before getting off. Unfortunately it doesn’t look good for the Alaskan season out of Vancouver. 

[Nofx242]

2 minutes ago, LMKakaThing2 said:

The issue with those cruising out of Vancouver is the cruise that disembarks as you get on. All those passengers and crew must be tested before getting off. Unfortunately it doesn’t look good for the Alaskan season out of Vancouver. 

That would only be for disembarking in Canada, only for a back to back cruise.  If you end in Alaska you wont need another test.

 

Although I see your point biggest is who will foot the bill.  I did see something awhile back about them having a testing site at the ports, no mention of cost.

[Italy52]

3 minutes ago, Nofx242 said:

That would only be for disembarking in Canada, only for a back to back cruise.  If you end in Alaska you wont need another test.

 

Although I see your point biggest is who will foot the bill.  I did see something awhile back about them having a testing site at the ports, no mention of cost.

Not just back-to-back, but if you began your cruise in Whittier or any other cruise that ended in Canada then you would disembark in Canada.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Italy52

[stefndoug]

every 7 day vancouver round trip means a test to get on board (which you  need anyway), but you would also need one to get off since you go through Canada Customs at the port at the end of the cruise.  That is a huge amount of testing required by the cruiselines (and entering your info into the ArriveCan app twice per 7 day cruise).  We Canadians are used to this since it is a requirement for any travel outside our country (I have done it many times since September when I started travelling again)...but will others be so accommodating...we will see what the cruiselines do.   

[rjm11]

What about RT Seattle cruises that stop in Victoria? Passengers getting off the ship there would have to test too, right?

[JT1962]

12 minutes ago, rjm11 said:

What about RT Seattle cruises that stop in Victoria? Passengers getting off the ship there would have to test too, right?

 

That is the way I read it. Hopefully the US will do what they did last year and suspend the requirement to stop at a foreign port for Alaska cruises from Seattle.

 

I guess it is also possible Canada would allow the stop, but not allow anyone to disembark the ship, if the cruise lines don’t want to test everyone onboard. My May cruise stops from 8:00 pm to Midnight, so it would not be a great loss to no get off the ship.

Edited March 7, 2022 by JT1962

[J0Y0US]

Here is the bill for the House as well to let them bypass Canada.

 

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6803

[Virga]

Call me an optimist, but I feel pretty sure that cruise lines would rather sail and pay an extra ~$5pp for a rapid test than cancel or change itineraries again.  

[puppymama1]

Viking is already doing daily testing onboard, so hopefully they will still be sailing their Vancouver to Seward and back cruises... We booked this last week after canceling our Danube cruise... We fly into Vancouver on May 21 and board the ship on May 23.. So we will have to do a rapid test on May 20 which hopefully will be good for both our arrival into Canada and boarding the ship.  But we may look for a rapid testing site near our hotel in Vancouver, or bring one of the monitored home tests with us to do in the hotel too, just in case... 

[tallgirl97]

34 minutes ago, Virga said:

Call me an optimist, but I feel pretty sure that cruise lines would rather sail and pay an extra ~$5pp for a rapid test than cancel or change itineraries again.  

100% agree with this.

 

I think the rules for embarking and disembarking are pretty clear. Now we just need to understand what happens at the ports, since Alaska routes from both Seattle and Vancouver hopscotch between countries. I’d love to see no additional testing required, but that may be overly optimistic.