The Canadian and US news networks are reporting Senator Mike Lee of Utah will be introducing a bill to repeal the Passenger Vessel Act. If you don't know what this act says, it was enacted in 1886 and prohibits the transportation of passengers between two US ports by foreign vessels.
Cruise ships are all registered in countries that have laws that protect the cruise line. There is only one US registered cruise ship; the NCL Pride of America that is registered in the US and carries a US crew. It can cruise around the Hawaiian Islands without stopping at a foreign port.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau banned cruise ships from entering Canadian waters until February 2022. A move I applauded! The Alaska cruise industry only operates until mid-September and opening it up in August would be too early.
Some of the local politicians are furious and say the cruise industry will forever suffer. I beg to differ. I've done a lot of Alaska cruises and most people love to come to Vancouver. It's a beautiful city to visit and even nicer to cruise out of. Canada Place is the nicest cruise port on the west coast and I've seen all the west coast cruise terminals.
Here is a list of some of the larger cruise ships that visit Vancouver:
Azamara Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Seabourn Cruise Lines, Disney Cruise Lines, Cunard Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, P & O Cruise, Windstar Cruise, Holland America, Hurtigruten, Princess Cruises, plus many more smaller lines.
I went online to see what is booking for 2022 and I only checked a few cruise lines. Looks like 2022 will be business as usual as long as our port opens up by May 2022.
Royal Caribbean: Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas. The two larger ships only come in at the start and end of the season to obey the Passenger Services Act. The other two ships sail all summer 2022 out of the Port of Vancouver.
Princess Cruises: Grand Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess and Majestic Princess
Holland America: Koningsdam, Noordam, Zuiderdam and Niew Amsterdam
NCL: Jewel and Spirit
Celebrity: Millennium and Eclipse
I stopped at these popular cruise lines because it looks like the 2019 cruise calendar. If Senator Lee is successful in repealing the Passenger Vessel Act, I doubt any of the cruise lines will pull out of Vancouver.
All the cruise lines that sail out of Seattle stop in Victoria on the last night of the cruise. It's great for Victoria tourism. Americans, Australians and Europeans love Victoria!
If anyone asks me if they should sail out of Vancouver or Seattle, I say, look at the map of the route. If you sail out of Vancouver you do the true Inside Passage. Sailing out of Vancouver you usually reach Campbell River by 8 or 9 PM and go through Seymour Narrows at high tide. The view up Johnstone Strait to the north end of Vancouver Island is true beauty. You can see both the BC Coast and Vancouver Island from the ship. Going north you miss it as it's usually dark but coming back to Vancouver you normally pass Port Hardy around noon and have the most incredible afternoon! We find a seat at the front of the ship in the observation lounge and sit with binoculars and a BC map. It's my favorite cruise and my favorite itinerary.
If you sail out of Seattle you go on the west side of Vancouver Island and they sail so far out, you can't even see land. However, you do visit Victoria.
In June 2022 we are booked on the Queen Elizabeth. It's a10 day Alaska cruise over the longest day which is spectacular in Alaska!
It would appear our Premier has spoken to some US lawmakers! I was happy to read this in our local paper:
2022 cruises are booking up. It appears most people are passing up cruising in 2021 and waiting for next year. Alaska will have a great season in 2022.
