The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt another blow to Canada’s tourism and cruise ship industries.
Federal officials announced Thursday that large cruise ships will now be banned from Canadian waters until at least Feb. 28, 2022.
The federal ban, which applies to all cruise vessels carrying 100 or more people, was set to expire later this month.
“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,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement. “This is the right and responsible thing to do.”
In addition, adventure-seeking pleasure craft and passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people will continue to be prohibited from entering Arctic waters
Those who do not comply with the passenger vessel prohibition could face fines of up to $1 million, up to 18 months behind bars, or both.
Smaller cruise ships with fewer than 100 passengers are still permitted in Canadian waters but must follow provincial, local and regional health authority protocols for timelines and processes around their operations.
