Holland America Line cruise ships to visit Canadian ports again this summer. Officials today said the publication of procedures for the safe resumption of cruises to Canadian ports allows the company to complete preparation for a full season of Alaska explorations and Canada/New England sailings. Holland America Line will sail itineraries as scheduled that include Canadian homeports and ports of call from late spring through fall. Canadian government officials last month said new cruise regulations will be in place in time for the start of the Canadian cruising season in May. “The completion of this guidance by Transport Canada, Read more
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The travel rebound is definitely coming. More than nine in ten travellers around the world plan to take a leisure trip in the next six months, and one in five Canadians intend to take a cruise in the next year, according to a new study from Expedia Group. Today, Expedia Group released its Traveler Value Index: 2022 Outlook based on proprietary data and results from a new survey of 5,500 adults across eight countries. The findings suggest people are changing their expectations and the way they travel this year in some unexpected ways. Top takeaways include: 91% of Read more
Cruise lines will no longer have to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention health rules to guard against COVID-19. The CDC’s Framework for Conditional Sailing Order, which was extended and modified in October, will expire Saturday, at which point the health agency’s COVID guidance for cruise ships will become voluntary, the CDC confirmed to USA TODAY on Wednesday. “This means cruise lines can choose whether to follow the health agency’s guidance or not,” USA Today said. CDC spokesperson David Daigle said the Atlanta-based health agency “is transitioning to a voluntary COVID-19 risk mitigation program.” The CDC in 2020 brought Read more
It’s a day of mixed messages when it comes to world travel. Here’s a roundup of some of today’s headlines. JAPAN SHUTS DOORS THROUGH FEBRUARY Japan will maintain its tight entry restrictions to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 until the end of February, the prime minister said on Tuesday, though some exceptions for humanitarian reasons may be considered, Reuters reports. “Japan adopted some of the strictest border controls in the world when the Omicron variant emerged late last year, banning all new entry by non-Japanese people, including students and foreign family members of Japanese or permanent Read more
In a major blow to the cruise industry, the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Americans should avoid all cruise travel, even if they’re fully vaccinated. The CDC on Thursday upgraded its travel warning advisory for cruising from level three to level four. Level three indicates what the CDC calls a “high” level of COVID-19 and advises travellers to make sure they’re fully vaccinated before taking a trip. Level four is for “very high” levels of the virus and suggests that people “avoid travel” entirely. The world cruise industry was just getting its sea legs back in the Read more
