Half-empty Northern Spirit cruise ship in Lake Ontario waters after the city reopened in Phase 3 during the coronavirus pandemic.
Roberto Machado Noa | LightRakete | Getty Images
Canada will allow cruise ships to operate in its waters from November 1 if operators fully comply with public health requirements, the country’s transport minister said Thursday.
At the beginning of the year, the Canadian government extended its cruise ban until the end of February 2022.
“Our government is now ready to announce that we are accelerating the schedule for the resumption of cruise shipping. I announce today that cruise lines will be allowed in Canadian waters from November 1st this year, ”said Omar Alghabra, Canada’s Minister of Transport, during a press conference.
Canada’s Federal Ministry of Transport, in a statement on Thursday, said it was ready to resume cruise lines earlier than expected as the public health outlook in Canada improves as Covid cases decline and vaccinations increase.
The cruise industry adds more than $ 4 billion annually to the Canadian economy, indirectly creates 30,000 jobs, and is vital to the tourism sector, according to the Department of Transportation.
That decision comes a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made it clear that the country will not be accepting unvaccinated tourists in the foreseeable future, despite the ailing tourism sector.
And the restart of cruises will depend on the public health situation at any point, especially in the areas where the cruises dock, Alghabra said on Thursday. The Canadian government is still advising citizens to avoid all cruise ship travel outside the country, he said.
In the US, the cruise industry was one of the last to emerge after several high profile ones outbreaks on ships last year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently allowed cruise lines to start sailing again, with strict health protocols in place.
Canada and the US have extended the ban on non-essential travel across their land borders until at least July 21st.
