Cruise industry outlook ‘optimistic,’ but COVID-19 passenger testing in question

Thursday, February 17, 2022

Canada’s cruise industry is welcoming a change to federal COVID-19 testing rules for international travellers, but as the start of the new season approaches, questions about passenger testing remain.

Ottawa announced Tuesday that at the end of the month, fully-vaccinated international travellers can use either a rapid antigen test or a PCR test to fulfill their border entry requirements.



It’s unclear, however, what the requirements will be for inbound international cruise ships, whose passengers will have already tested negative for COVID-19 as requirement for boarding.



Barry Penner, legal advisor to Cruise Lines International Association in Canada explained that they now need to understand just how they expect the rapid antigen tests to be administered within that 24-hour window that they’re now talking about.


There will be questions I’m sure about whether or not there’s a factor of redundancy having a factor of multiple rapid antigen tests. Those are things that we’ll work on.

British Columbia is the hub of cruise travel in Canada, making up about 50 per cent of all cruise traffic, according to a report from Destination BC.

The cruise season generally begins in April and wraps up in October.

According to Penner, the industry generates $2.6 billion in economic activity and employs 17,000 people in B.C., while generating $4 billion nationwide and providing about 30,000 jobs.

As pandemic restrictions begin to ease across the country, Penner said the industry outlook is “positive.”

Meetings are scheduled with Health Canada, Transport Canada and cruise industry stakeholders throughout the week, Penner said.

In a press conference Tuesday, Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said he expects to have details finalized for the cruise sector well before the start of the 2022 season.

This week, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention downgraded their public guidance on cruise ship travel from “very high” level, which asks people to avoid cruise travel, to “high” level, which urges only fully-vaccinated passengers to participate.

The Canadian government has not yet changed its guidance, which continues to recommend against cruise ship travel outside of the country.

Penner said he hopes that change comes soon, noting that double-vaccination and a negative test result are requirements for virtually everyone on board cruise ships, and robust health and safety plans are in place.


Eduardo Bilardello, owner of Brioche Ristorante in Vancouver’s historic Gastown neighbourhood, said he hopes to see a successful cruise season as well.

His restaurant, which depends on traffic from cruise ships, shut down for three months during the pandemic, forcing Bilardello to lay off several staff and work in the kitchen himself.


The first cruise ship to B.C. is expected to arrive in Victoria on April 6 and in Vancouver on April 7.

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