New Cruising Ban Will Bar Disney Cruise Line From Alaska Until 2022 - Inside the Magic

The nation of Canada has issued a new restriction that bans all pleasure vessels and cruise liners from entering Canadian waters until February 28, 2022, at the earliest.

Related: Disney Cruise Line Confirms Level 4 Travel Warning From CDC

Per the official announcement from the Canadian government:

The Government of Canada continues to monitor the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on the marine and tourism sectors. Keeping Canadians and transportation workers safe and healthy are top priorities for Transport Canada.

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced two new Interim Orders, which prohibit pleasure craft in Canadian Arctic waters and cruise vessels in all Canadian waters until February 28, 2022. This means:

• Adventure-seeking pleasure craft are still prohibited from entering Arctic waters.
• Passenger vessels carrying more than 12 people are still prohibited from entering Arctic coastal waters, including Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, and the Labrador Coast.
• Cruise vessels carrying more than 100 people are still prohibited from operating in Canadian waters.

Related: Disney Cruise Line Extends Suspension Further Into 2021

Each ship in the entire Disney Cruise Line fleet — the Disney Dream, the Disney Fantasy, the Disney Magic, and the Disney Wonder — of course, carries more than 100 passengers and will, therefore, be unable to enter Canadian waters for the foreseeable future.

This will primarily impact Disney’s Alaskan cruises, which are immensely popular. Disney Cruise Line had 17 available 2021 Alaskan cruises on its official website. The first was slated to leave on the Disney Wonder on May 17, 2021. These cruises have now been removed, indicating an official cancelation announcement is likely to come soon:

Disney’s cruises to Alaska are described as:

Outdoor adventure and picturesque scenery will enchant all who embark on an Alaskan cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. Discover exciting ports featuring prehistoric glaciers, gold-mining relics and eclectic shopping, while enjoying first-rate entertainment and family-friendly recreation on board the ship.

Related: Disney Cruise Line Unveils NEW 2022 Sailings

At this time, the next available non-Alaskan Disney Cruise Line vacation that is likely to be impacted by Canada’s new cruise ban is a 2-night Seattle cruise from Vancouver (British Columbia), Canada on the Disney Wonder.

Disney Cruise Line has not officially canceled its 2021 and early 2022 Alaskan cruises at this time, but Inside the Magic will continue to provide updates as they become available. 

If you are interested in booking a Disney Cruise Line vacation for a future date, contact the Academy Travel team for assistance with every magical detail! Whether you want to cruise out of Port Canaveral to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, or you are interested in learning more about the Disney Wish’s maiden voyage, they can help. 

This article has been updated since its original publication.