Royal Caribbean has removed any bookings to Alaska and Canada for 2020 from its website, another sad, stark reality of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The news was first reported by Matt Hochberg on the Royal Caribbean Blog site.
The itineraries were gone and there was no chance to book a cruise to one of the most popular sailing destinations in the world in Alaska. But Royal Caribbean had no choice after the Canadian government announced on Friday it was extending its ban on cruise ships through the end of October 2020.
Transport Minister Marc Garneau said cruise ships with overnight accommodations that carry more than 100 people are not allowed to sail in Canadian waters.
"Our government is committed to protecting Canadians, particularly during these challenging times. It is for that reason I am announcing updated measures for cruise ships and other passenger vessels in Canada, which includes prohibiting larger cruise ships from operating in Canadian waters until Oct. 31, 2020," Garneau said. "Our government continues to work with other levels of government, transportation industry stakeholders and Indigenous peoples to re-examine measures and to ensure Canada's transportation system remains safe and secure during this time. We are all in this together."
Royal Caribbean Blog pointed out that the line has not officially informed guests that sailings that visit Canada between July 1 and October 31 are canceled, but all potentially affected sailings have been removed from being able to be booked on its site.
When searching for Alaska sailings, no dates in 2020 are available to search. The ship Brilliance of the Seas, which normally has sailings from Boston to Canada, has just one cruise available in 2020 and that's a repositioning cruise from Boston to Tampa.
Royal Caribbean indicated a "full update" will be made on Tuesday, June 2.
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