SEATTLE — The nation’s neighbor to the north announced Monday it will begin welcoming cruise ships back to its waters beginning in April.
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra said the move comes along with a new public health framework that will help restart the industry’s activity in Canada.
The plan includes vaccination requirements for all crew and passengers as well as taking an antigen test at most one day before boarding the ship or a molecular test 72 hours before boarding.
Passengers will also have to test before their scheduled arrival in Canada.
"As Canadians continue to do their part by stepping up and rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and practicing public health measures, our government continues to work hard to restart our economy safely and sustainably. We welcome cruise ships—an important part of our tourism sector—back to Canada, and we will continue working with partners to support this important industry,” Alghabra said in a statement.
While cruise ships in compliance with public health regulations have been allowed to enter Canadian waters since November 2021, the new guidance comes ahead of the busy Pacific Northwest cruise ship season.
Officials with the Port of Seattle said the past two years have been very tough for the cruise industry in Seattle with virtually no season in 2020 and a late start to last year's season, which brought in a couple hundred million dollars to Seattle’s economy. That’s just a quarter of the $900 million that the city averages during a normal cruise season. Officials are optimistic they'll hit that mark again for this upcoming season.
Stephanie Jones Stebbins, managing director of the maritime division at the Port of Seattle, said they expect to have 296 ships, which means "a lot of money into our economy."
"We know there are some businesses that rely on tourism that are just hanging on, so without this season I think the economic impact would really be devastating," Jones Stebbins said.
According to Canada, the cruise ship industry brings in more than $4 billion for the country’s economy, generates roughly 30,000 jobs and is considered “an important part of Canada’s domestic tourism sector.”
The cruise industry itself was hit hard by initial lockdowns caused by the pandemic and then scrutinized heavily as the omicron surge took hold.
At one point over the winter, all U.S. cruise ships had at least 0.1% of its passengers testing positive for COVID, leading to numerous investigations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A spokesperson for Seattle-based Holland America, which operates six Alaska cruises out of Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, said the company is thrilled to resume operations after the pandemic disruption.
"In a couple of short words, we're back," said Holland America Director of Public Relations Erik Elvejord. "I mean it's been two years since we've had a full season in Seattle, so super excited about it."
Port of Seattle officials said the season starts in April and runs through October. They expect some cruise ships to head to Canada in mid-April.