Which port will substitute Victoria CA?

[Coral]

7 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

I wonder if the change will happen to the 2022 cruises eventually. We are scheduled for May, and I’d rather skip Victoria and have longer port times in alaska if possible. I guess it’s wait and see...

I doubt it. If you want more time in Alaska book a one way cruise Vancouver to Seward or Whittier. Those skip Victoria all together.

Edited May 25, 2021 by Coral

[Heidi13]

16 hours ago, kona_wahine said:

I wonder if the change will happen to the 2022 cruises eventually. We are scheduled for May, and I’d rather skip Victoria and have longer port times in alaska if possible. I guess it’s wait and see...

 

If you prefer longer times in Alaska you should book out of Vancouver, which is closer to Alaska and doesn't require stops at Victoria.

[rkacruiser]

8 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

If you prefer longer times in Alaska you should book out of Vancouver, which is closer to Alaska and doesn't require stops at Victoria.

 

So many reasons to sail from Vancouver!  I hope and expect that option will return in 2022.

 

Heidi13, I encourage you to check the web site of Senator Lisa Murkowski.  There is a video of her comments delivered on the floor of the U. S. Senate and a video of the press conference between the Alaskan Congressional delegation and the press after President Biden signed the Bill that temporarily put the PVSA on hold for 2021 for sailings to Alaska.  This 130 year old law has been successfully attacked, temporarily, and I heard that the ire of some members of both parties in our Congress has been raised because of Canada--which has every right to do so--closing their borders to cruise ship traffic.  

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

So many reasons to sail from Vancouver!  I hope and expect that option will return in 2022.

 

Heidi13, I encourage you to check the web site of Senator Lisa Murkowski.  There is a video of her comments delivered on the floor of the U. S. Senate and a video of the press conference between the Alaskan Congressional delegation and the press after President Biden signed the Bill that temporarily put the PVSA on hold for 2021 for sailings to Alaska.  This 130 year old law has been successfully attacked, temporarily, and I heard that the ire of some members of both parties in our Congress has been raised because of Canada--which has every right to do so--closing their borders to cruise ship traffic.  

 

Yes, Vancouver is an amazing experience for an Alaska cruise, way better than Seattle. Many on here have either forgotten, or probably never knew, but nearly all Alaska cruises were based in Vancouver. Only when Vancouver refused to build additional berthing space, to accommodate the larger ships, especially for weekends, did the cruise lines reluctantly head to Seattle. 

 

I fully expect the port to resume normal service again next year, as today we were presented with a proposed re-opening schedule, as our vaccination levels are increasing well and infections are dropping rapidly. Compared to our neighbours in WA, we have almost caught up with the percentage of people having 1 jab and our daily numbers are a fair bit less. However, to protect our Health Care System, our Provincial Health Officer is very conservative in re-opening.

 

Checked out her website, but didn't find a film. Noted her comment that the cessation of the Alaska cruise season was due to Canadian ports being closed. Wasn't aware the PVSA specified that cruises must visit a Canadian port. I always thought the PVSA stipulated a R/T  cruise must visit any foreign port and non R/T cruises must visit a distant foreign port.

 

Lots of other foreign ports are available, they just require additional steaming. Unfortunately the US CDC hasn't been favouable, especially limiting cruises, when they restart to a max of 7-days. Therefore, while Canada's ports being closed made Alaska cruising challenging, it was the US CDC that removed options for compliance with the PVSA.

[rkacruiser]

52 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Checked out her website, but didn't find a film. Noted her comment that the cessation of the Alaska cruise season was due to Canadian ports being closed. Wasn't aware the PVSA specified that cruises must visit a Canadian port. I always thought the PVSA stipulated a R/T  cruise must visit any foreign port 

 

Her web site has videos of both her comments on the Senate floor as well as the press conference with Senator Sullivan and Representative Young after the President signed the Bill.  No explanation as to why you were not able to view those videos.  

 

56 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

Wasn't aware the PVSA specified that cruises must visit a Canadian port. I always thought the PVSA stipulated a R/T  cruise must visit any foreign port 

 

That's been my understanding as well.  A Canadian port visit is OK.  But a "technical port visit" is not.  

 

My opinion:  it is time for the United States Congress to repeal the PVSA and put in place a maritime law that will protect the interests of all concerned in this, the 21st Century.