News Canada to Lift Cruise Ship Ban in November Previously, cruising in Canada was not expected to resume until February 2022. By Alison Fox Alison Fox Instagram Twitter Alison Fox is a journalist whose work regularly appears in Travel + Leisure. She has also written for Parents.com, The Wall Street Journal, and amNewYork. She focuses on travel news and feature stories based on personal experiences and interviews. Born in Brooklyn and a lifelong traveler, she developed a love for exploring the world at an early age and hopes to visit every country. * Traveled to 50+ countries * Received a master's degree in journalism from Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University * Received a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines and Christine Burroni Published on July 16, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email A Royal Princess cruise ship docked in Saint Lawrence River at Quebec City port in 2018. . Photo: Thierry Falise/LightRocket via Getty Images Cruise ships can resume sailing in Canada on Nov. 1, the country's Minister of Transport announced Thursday. "As Canadians have done their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19, our government continues to work hard to safely restart our economy and build back better," Omar Alghabra said in a statement. "We will welcome cruise ships — an important part of our tourism sector — back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season." Cruise lines that do take to the Canadian waters are expected to "fully comply with public health requirements." "We know that cruise ship passengers want a Canadian experience in British Columbia, and we know that British Columbians want to welcome them to our cities when it is safe to do so," British Columbia's Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, the Honorable Rob Fleming, said in the announcement. The decision comes as the vaccination rate continues to increase across Canada. Currently, over 50% of Canadians are fully vaccinated, while 80% have received their first dose of the vaccine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on a call with premiers on Thursday. Previously, cruising in Canada was not expected to resume until February 2022. As a result, the United States passed legislation allowing ships to skip Canadian ports so cruises could begin in Alaska. Princess, Holland America, and Norwegian cruise lines all announced itineraries to Alaska this year following the passing of the legislation. While the return of cruising in Canada may be on the horizon, U.S. citizens are still not allowed to return to the country, and the land border remains closed to non-essential travel. However, Trudeau said on Thursday's government call that "we could expect to start allowing fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel" and that more details would be shared next week. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit