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.
This decree, of course, impacted Disney Cruise Line’s 2021 Alaskan cruise season, which runs from May through September annually. DCL has already canceled all of its May 2021 cruises.
All of the ships in the Disney Cruise Line fleet — the Disney Wonder, the Disney Magic, the Disney Fantasy, and the Disney Dream — carry far more than 100 passengers onboard at any given time.
In light of the Canadian government’s announcement that they will not allow ships with more than 100 passengers to dock in any Canadian port until February 28, 2022, we are evaluating various options for the Disney Wonder’s scheduled season in Alaska. Once a decision is made, we will reach out to Guests booked on these sailings.
Additionally, as previously shared, based on the conditional sail order provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disney Cruise Line must cancel sailings longer than 7 nights.
This new information indicates that Disney might not be ready to cancel its 2021 Alaska season just yet, as the cruise operator was forced to do in 2020.
There are a couple of possible options Disney Cruise Line officials could be looking at in a bid to save Alaskan itineraries this year. First, they could consider limiting capacity to under 100 people on a ship — this, however, seems extremely unlikely.
The more plausible option is that Disney is considering routes to Alaska that would not include traveling in Canadian waters. Canada’s internal waters include everything within the boundaries of the Canadian Arctic islands. This encompasses the famous Northwest Passage.
It is also worth noting that any Disney ship departures scheduled out of the Port of Vancouver are likely to be impacted by Canada’s new cruise restrictions. If you have questions regarding your departure port for any upcoming Disney vacation itinerary, contact your travel agent or Disney Cruise Line directly.
Stay tuned to Inside the Magic for additional details about Alaska Disney Cruise vacations in 2021. Remember, at this time Disney has not officially confirmed whether or not Disney Cruise Line will be able to visit Alaska this year.
If you are interested in booking a Disney Cruise Line vacation for a future date, contact the expert team at Academy Travel for assistance with every magical detail! Whether or not you have an existing cruise credit, they can help you book passage to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, in the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral or help you set sail on a Frozen-inspired adventure to Northern Europe.
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