Canadian Passengers only cruises? (covid times)

[rob902]

Has anyone noticed any cruise's being offered that restrict the passengers to a specific country?  (not the destination country, but the country / citizenship of the passengers - e.g. Only Canadian passengers)

 

As we consider going on our next cruise during Covid times, I realize that I would feel much more comfortable going on a smaller cruise that has other passengers that are all from the same country that I live in (Canada).  This is because the majority of the Canadians that I interact with seem to understand the seriousness and implications of safe behavior in Covid times, mostly including masks and distancing.  People in other countries seem to be influenced by their leadership, and the general behavior of the other people there, and don't seem to take it as seriously.  

 

In some ways this might be considered as similar to specialty cruise offerings that are aimed at only gay passengers, or single passengers, etc.

 

Also, I am assuming that although the cruise provider, will be putting the appropriate Covid measures in place to ensure the starting passengers and crew are safe, but there is always the random infections that can sneak in from excursions and food, etc.  along the way.

[sanger727]

The specialty cruise offerings aimed at only specific groups are not put on by the cruise line. A group charters the boat and then re-sells the tickets as a specialty cruise. So, sure, if you can come up with a group with the finances to charter a ship and then re-sell the tickets to Canadian only passengers this could happen. I'm assuming this cruise would have to sail out of Canada and to Canadian only ports (that's not legal in the US, not sure about Canada).  If in your mind it's safest to be around Canadian's only, there's no reason to use a cruise as shipping vessel to other countries, or require the Canadian passengers fly down to Florida to mix with US citizens and then embark.

[electro]

This is a Canada only cruise line. They are not sailing now but may be before the big US lines.

They are not cheap!

https://www.stlawrencerivercruise.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JnqaAPbMZl5qM6Q0nsCYFhm8f3z8-uwvYIPnJwowO_1Ss9LEmskXSBoCkYUQAvD_BwE

[dogs4fun]

3 minutes ago, electro said:

This is a Canada only cruise line. They are not sailing now but may be before the big US lines.

They are not cheap!

https://www.stlawrencerivercruise.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JnqaAPbMZl5qM6Q0nsCYFhm8f3z8-uwvYIPnJwowO_1Ss9LEmskXSBoCkYUQAvD_BwE

Yes, it is a Canadian line but I don't believe that the line restricts its cruise passengers to only Canadian nationals. I believe that the OP is looking for a cruise line that restricts its passengers to only Canadian nationals.

[electro]

5 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Yes, it is a Canadian line but I don't believe that the line restricts its cruise passengers to only Canadian nationals. I believe that the OP is looking for a cruise line that restricts its passengers to only Canadian nationals.

No, it doesn't restrict passengers, but with the borders being closed, if they start sailing this year, most of the passengers will be Canadian. It is probably the closest you will get to an all Canadian passenger and crew cruise.

[LHT28]

Maybe  a Charter cruise  sometime once ships are sailing again  but cannot see a larger ship just for Canadians

 

[rob902]

35 minutes ago, electro said:

This is a Canada only cruise line. They are not sailing now but may be before the big US lines.

They are not cheap!

https://www.stlawrencerivercruise.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JnqaAPbMZl5qM6Q0nsCYFhm8f3z8-uwvYIPnJwowO_1Ss9LEmskXSBoCkYUQAvD_BwE

 

Thanks for the reply.  Interesting option.  Few thousand dollar price is not really that bad.

[LHT28]

3 minutes ago, rob902 said:

 

Thanks for the reply.  Interesting option.  Few thousand dollar price is not really that bad.

it is  a small ship & cabins are very small  but  a fun trip

[rob902]

31 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

 I believe that the OP is looking for a cruise line that restricts its passengers to only Canadian nationals.

Yes, ideally a Canadian restriction for passengers, but that may be un-realistic, so the compromise may be driven more by which countries open up first.

[LHT28]

also for  a short trip is Kawartha Voyageur   but not running this season

[Nic6318]

5 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Maybe  a Charter cruise  sometime once ships are sailing again  but cannot see a larger ship just for Canadians

 

 

Hi LHT

 

The large cruise ships are not allowed due to the current government ban, and the smaller "river cruise" ships, that are allowed to operate have been cancelling bookings. What I am understanding is that their issue are twofold, first, U.S. tourists are not able to book, and secondly, they likely aren't able (or willing) to meet provincial requirements for social distancing and capacity restrictions. 

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, Nic6318 said:

 

Hi LHT

 

The large cruise ships are not allowed due to the current government ban, and the smaller "river cruise" ships, that are allowed to operate have been cancelling bookings. What I am understanding is that their issue are twofold, first, U.S. tourists are not able to book, and secondly, they likely aren't able (or willing) to meet provincial requirements for social distancing and capacity restrictions. 

Exactly

Not many ships are sailing at present   are they??

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, rob902 said:

 

As we consider going on our next cruise during Covid times, I realize that I would feel much more comfortable going on a smaller cruise that has other passengers that are all from the same country that I live in (Canada).  This is because the majority of the Canadians that I interact with seem to understand the seriousness and implications of safe behavior in Covid times, mostly including masks and distancing.  People in other countries seem to be influenced by their leadership, and the general behavior of the other people there, and don't seem to take it as seriously.  

 

If Canadians take COVID more seriously, wouldn't it be counterintuitive for a Canadian-only cruise? It seems a cruise would be the last thing a serious person would want to do.  

[puppycanducruise]

1 hour ago, electro said:

This is a Canada only cruise line. They are not sailing now but may be before the big US lines.

They are not cheap!

https://www.stlawrencerivercruise.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JnqaAPbMZl5qM6Q0nsCYFhm8f3z8-uwvYIPnJwowO_1Ss9LEmskXSBoCkYUQAvD_BwE

A co-worker of DH took one of their cruises a few years ago.  They enjoyed it.  It's a little pricey, but for them, no air to worry about, they drove, and that helps keep the overall expense down.

[mom says]

2 hours ago, rob902 said:

This is because the majority of the Canadians that I interact with seem to understand the seriousness and implications of safe behavior in Covid times, mostly including masks and distancing.  People in other countries seem to be influenced by their leadership, and the general behavior of the other people there, and don't seem to take it as seriously.  

I would suggest you watch the national news a bit more. We have our fair share of COVidiots,  too. They're just fewer and farther between than what we see with our southern neighbors. So even this fantasy Canadian only cruise ( a pipe dream IMO) would not guarantee the experience you seem to envisage. And I would not paint every other country with the same very wide brush. There are lots of places that have done a better job than we have. Then there's the fact that Canada has a ban on cruise ships carrying more than 100 pax until the end of Oct, which essentially eliminates them for the year.

Edited July 17, 2020 by mom says

[electro]

8 minutes ago, mom says said:

 Then there's the fact that Canada has a ban on cruise ships carrying more than 100 pax until the end of Oct, which essentially eliminates them for the year.

The St Lawrence cruise line ship only has 35 cabins so a Max of 70 pax with double occupancy in each cabin so they would fall below the 100 pax max.

I still don't think they will sail this year, but they have a better chance than most.

[rob902]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

If Canadians take COVID more seriously, wouldn't it be counterintuitive for a Canadian-only cruise? It seems a cruise would be the last thing a serious person would want to do.  

The province we live in has had ZERO new covid cases in the past few weeks. 

So although we know it can change quickly, from one bad apple, the fewer bad apples you touch the better.  🙂  So assuming all passengers and crew start covid free, then the only safeguard you have from random accidental infection is masks and space - it is really that simple. 

My planning is more in the one year timeframe.  Assuming we DON'T have a widely available vaccine, then my hope would be that another cruise might be possible again - hopefully outside of Canada, but that may be a pipe dream.

Edited July 17, 2020 by rob902

[rob902]

This DIY (Do it yourself) cruise came to mind.  I guess you can rent river boats on the Saint John River, in New Brunswick, sounds interesting.

https://www.lakewayhouseboats.com/

[cbr663]

1 hour ago, rob902 said:

The province we live in has had ZERO new covid cases in the past few weeks. 

So although we know it can change quickly, from one bad apple, the fewer bad apples you touch the better.  🙂  So assuming all passengers and crew start covid free, then the only safeguard you have from random accidental infection is masks and space - it is really that simple. 

My planning is more in the one year timeframe.  Assuming we DON'T have a widely available vaccine, then my hope would be that another cruise might be possible again - hopefully outside of Canada, but that may be a pipe dream.

 

It really isn't that simple as there is practically no way that you can guarantee that anyone who tests COVID free remains COVID free.  The tests results are simply a moment in time.  The CDC just provided an example in its extended No Sail Order of crew members on board of four different Royal Caribbean ships that reported no cases on board yet 55 crew tested positive when tested by required shoreside testing.  Asymptomatic cases are a real challenge with this virus.

 

This isn't the case of bad apples.  It's the challenges of a dynamic virus and the limits that we have to detect and treat the disease.

[SelectSys]

3 hours ago, electro said:

This is a Canada only cruise line. They are not sailing now but may be before the big US lines.

They are not cheap!

https://www.stlawrencerivercruise.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmMX4BRAAEiwA-zM4JnqaAPbMZl5qM6Q0nsCYFhm8f3z8-uwvYIPnJwowO_1Ss9LEmskXSBoCkYUQAvD_BwE

 

 

And that's is at least part of the dilemma - the cruise experience with ships flagged and staffed with (insert your favorite industrial nation here) isn't cheap!

[DaveSJ711]

4 hours ago, rob902 said:

As we consider going on our next cruise during Covid times, I realize that I would feel much more comfortable going on a smaller cruise that has other passengers that are all from the same country that I live in (Canada).  This is because the majority of the Canadians that I interact with seem to understand the seriousness and implications of safe behavior in Covid times, mostly including masks and distancing.  People in other countries seem to be influenced by their leadership, and the general behavior of the other people there, and don't seem to take it as seriously. 

 

The New York Times published an interesting article today about mask use in the U.S. and in other countries.  Citing surveys from YouGov/Imperial College of London, the paper reported that 59% of Americans say they always wear a mask when leaving the house.  Only 35% of Canadians say they do so.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/17/upshot/coronavirus-face-mask-map.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Edited July 17, 2020 by DaveSJ711

[electro]

14 minutes ago, DaveSJ711 said:

 

The New York Times published an interesting article today about mask use in the U.S. and in other countries.  Citing surveys from YouGov/Imperial College of London, the paper reported that 59% of Americans say they always wear a mask when leaving the house.  Only 35% of Canadians say they do so.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/17/upshot/coronavirus-face-mask-map.html?action=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Most places in Canada that have mandatory mask, you only have to wear them while Inside public places. This may be why the number is low, we don't wear them outside, we just physically distance.

The majority of Canadian support mask. I think the number is two thirds.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/pandemic-rattled-canadians-still-cautious-about-everything-from-schools-to-second-lockdowns-polls-say/ar-BB16QJv3?li=AAggNb9

[mom says]

The Toronto Star printed the results of an interesting survey  on masks today, broken down by gender and age groups, primarily. Their results don't seem to jibe with the NYT. 

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/07/16/men-canadians-aged-45-to-59-most-likely-to-not-wear-masks-indoors.html  From what I've seen,  mask compliance in the urban areas is generally fairly high. But mandatory laws only apply to indoor areas or where social distancing can't be maintained. 

[jocap]

You can always hope....

Hurtigruten has had its first cruise for Germans only, which sailed through the Norwegian fjords. It didn't stop at any ports, but there were canoe sailings etc for passengers. Very reduced numbers; masks worn on deck, no buffet.

Hurtigruten begins sailing around the British Isles for UK passengers on Sept 2nd, with reduced numbers on board, and a series of 4 cruises.

Viking Ocean and Saga cruises were reported to be looking at something similar for the UK 

It might be Canada soon- here's hoping. 

[rob902]

3 minutes ago, jocap said:

You can always hope....

Hurtigruten has had its first cruise for Germans only, which sailed through the Norwegian fjords. It didn't stop at any ports, but there were canoe sailings etc for passengers. Very reduced numbers; masks worn on deck, no buffet.

Thanks for posting.  Yes that provides a glimmer of hope for us.  The excursions may be the challenging part, because its half the reason I like to cruise.