Great Lakes Cruise News

A fixture of the Great Lakes cruise industry, Canada announced that it will begin charting a new way forward for its pandemic-era travel. This comes after years of travel restrictions that have protected citizens, but posed a challenge to all forms of travel to Canada and the businesses that benefit from it. For most as of late, a negative COVID test or quarantine was required for entry.

Since April 1, 2022, Canada has updated its policy on travel, now allowing visitors who are vaccinated and carrying proof of it to enter the country. While not requiring a negative test might seem like a simple change to some, this re-opens cruise lines to the prospects of cruising to and from Canada.

With virtually every cruise line requiring full vaccination, travelers will once again be able to visit the lovely cities and towns of Canada with ease. The country draws millions of visitors each year across all its Great Lakes cruises destinations, from the incredibly diverse metropolis of Toronto all the way to the naturally beautiful Thunder Bay on the Lake Superior North Shore. 

At the end of March 2022, the US cruise industry saw CDC travel health warnings for COVID dropped. This comes after nearly two years of hard work, all beginning with the cancellation of countless 2020 cruises worldwide.

From that point, Great Lakes cruise lines and oceanic cruise lines alike have labored tirelessly to create the safest possible environments aboard their ships. Socially distanced spaces, all-new and always-updating cleaning protocols, and vaccine mandates have allowed our favorite cruise lines to continue doing what they do best.

On each and every one of our Great Lakes cruises, continuously evolving protocols that ensure guest safety allow you focus on the adventure, the history, and the magnificence of the lakes themselves. In addition, the same also goes for our St. Lawrence Seaway and New England voyages.

With the removal of the CDC's travel health warning and the continued popularity of close-to-home vacations, our cruises have filled up fast, and are almost completely booked for 2022. Next year, North American cruising is only expected to pick up speed; we're already beginning to see spots fill up! To learn more about our 2023 Great Lakes cruises and other offerings, Engage our Experts today.

New for the 2022 Great Lakes cruise season, American Queen Voyages has announced overnight stays in key ports of call, allowing passengers more time to explore their favorite destinations.

This comes at a time when more and more cruisers are requesting an extended amount of time to explore destinations. While a quick tour might suffice for most spots, cities like Toronto, Ontario simply can't be explored in a day. These new assortment of Canada and Great Lakes cruises from American Queen seek to tackle that issue by offering that most valuable thing -- time. 

On these limited new itineraries from the former Victory Cruise Lines, you'll stop in exciting destinations that feature a whole new suite of excursions -- from evening activities like beach sunsets to nighttime tours. The following American Queen Great Lakes cruises give you the freedom to explore more, all while aboard the classic Ocean Voyager and Ocean Navigator.

With our affinity for the Great Lakes, we greatly enjoy any opportunity to spend time in the cities that American Queen's added. Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, and Mackinac Island are extremely popular destinations for cruisers, each offering a unique experience that's packed with history, great dining, architecture, and more.

Cruisers are able to give direct feedback to the business, streamlining the communication process so that voyages are tailored to the desires of those actually cruising the Great Lakes. Essentially, guests are the ones who shape the future of Great Lakes cruising. We look forward to keeping you updated with more developments from American Queen and our other Great Lakes cruise lines as North American cruising continues to grow.

This past Tuesday, February 15, 2022, the US' Center for Disease Control announced a change to its current Travel Health Notice. Based on a series of events, from general COVID cases dropping to cruise lines establishing an extensive private network of preventative protocols, the CDC lowered its risk warning from "Very High" to "High."

Changing to just a High warning level puts cruising at the same level of risk as visiting countries that have weathered the pandemic decently well, due to high vaccination rates and other factors. Countries like South Africa and Indonesia ranked similarly on the list, all unrecommended for those not vaccinated, but safe for those that are. For comparison, cruising now ranks as safer than visiting popular European countries like France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, who still maintain a Very High warning according to the CDC. 

This new change follows months of hard work by cruise lines to establish next-level safety procedures for travelers. While the recent CDC guidelines for cruise ships have now become voluntary, you'll find safety requirements are still standard across all Great Lakes cruise lines. On board sanitation procedures, vaccination requirements, and other safety precautions now accompany vast networks of on-call doctors and medical professional testing.

It's no wonder then that cruising has been lowered to just a High warning level. The industry has invested lots into making this one of the most well thought-out means of travel in our modern era, ensuring that the immersive experiences, cultural adventures, and delicious cuisine offered by cruising aren't lost on travelers. We look forward to keeping you updated as our small ship cruise industry continues to evolve.

In recent news, the United States' Center for Disease Control (CDC) has announced a change to its existing Conditional Sail Order. Mandatory for all cruise lines visiting US ports, the Conditional Sail Order required each ship to adhere to strict guidelines regarding safety and sanitation. The CSO reached its expiration on January 15, 2022, transitioning to a voluntary measure. ​Despite the Conditional Sail Order no longer being mandatory for ships visiting the US, the CDC plans to continue to offer recommendations for cruise lines that wish to remain compliant.

Fortunately for our Great Lakes cruise lines, the previously required CSO functioned as the very baseline for established safety protocols. ​Already using much smaller ships than cruise lines Carnival and Norwegian, cruises on the Great Lakes keep travelers safe with less exposure to COVID. This is in part due to fewer travelers, even more limited capacity, and robust safety measures. In addition, most Great Lakes cruises come to port in Canada at some point, where they still have to meet practical guidelines for pandemic safety.

As of late, we've seen Great Lakes cruise lines' COVID vaccine mandates updated to combat the newest Omicron variant. All of the current cruise lines sailing in North America require travelers to be vaccinated, but several are taking steps to prevent the latest variant's spread by requiring booster shots as well. 

With these additional and existing safety protocols, our cruise lines are continuing to make small ship cruises on the Great Lakes one of the safest ways to travel. 

Here are our current cruise lines requiring a COVID booster:​

Hapag Lloyd recently announced that it's adventurous cruise ship, the Hanseatic Inspiration, would be returning to North America in the year 2023 to cruise the Great Lakes once again. After many hurdles caused by the travel industry's pandemic slump, ourselves and many others were overjoyed to learn that Hapag Lloyd would finally be making a comeback.

​The cruise line is known for its immersive German-speaking -- but English-friendly -- adventures that offer voyagers the chance to travel in places many other ships can't. Aboard the Hanseatic Inspiration, cruisers are given an intimate experience filled with culinary and natural excursions. Only carrying up to 230 passengers, the ship is one of the smallest vessels among our Great Lakes cruise lines. With its small size and a uniquely European feel, the Inspiration is one of the greatest new ways to explore the Great Lakes, providing an easy entry point for European travelers and a fresh point-of-view for those that've already cruised the lakes.

For their 2023 return, the line plans to offer a total of five cruises across the Great Lakes and North America. Sailing from May to early July, voyagers will have the chance to visit popular Great Lakes destinations like Chicago, Toronto, and the famous Mackinac Island while traveling in fashion aboard the Hanseatic Inspiration. The Great Lakes cruises individually range from 10 to 15 days, allowing for plenty of time to take in the wonders. With excursions like whale watching from a rigid inflatable boat and carriage rides across scenic islands, these cruises are sure to impress new and experienced travelers alike. 

While many other lines have made their return in 2022, Hapag Lloyd's 2023 return is wonderful news for Great Lakes travelers looking for a one-of-a-kind cruise. At Great Lakes Cruises, 2023 already has us excited for the future of the lakes! Learn more about our upcoming 2022 and 2023 cruise itineraries.

Transport Canada Minister Omar Alghabra announced that the health restrictions which prevented cruise ships from visiting Canadian waters would be lifted November 1, 2021. Minister Alghabra said "We will welcome cruise ships - an important part of our tourism sector - back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season." 

The original ban was set to expire in February 2022, so the difference between a November re-opening and next February is negligible, given that prime sailing for Alaska cruises and Great Lakes cruises generally runs from May through September. Most cruise lines have already canceled the remainder of the 2021 season and have focused their efforts on preparing for the 2022 season. 

The Jones Act is an American law that requires foreign flagged vessels to make a call at a foreign port before visiting another American port. This, combined with Canada's cruise ban effectively shut down all cruising in the Great Lakes and Alaska. The US Congress passed a law granting a temporary exemption to the Jones Act, allowing Alaska cruises to sail directly from the lower 48 states to Alaska without a foreign port call. The first revenue cruise departed Port Seattle on July 19, 2021, effectively restarting the Alaska cruise season.

After all Alaska and Great Lakes cruising was shut down until February, 2022 by Transport Canada's no-sail order, the cruise industry worked hard to find a way to save the 2021 summer cruising season. CLIA, the Cruise Lines International Association, swung into action with publicity and lobbying to educate our elected representatives on the economic impact of the no-sail order.

At issue, was the 1886 Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA).  The PVSA,  requires foreign-flagged ships (like large cruise ships) to stop in at least one foreign port when sailing between two U.S. destinations. This is why Great Lakes cruises alternate between U.S. and Canadian ports. It also requires Alaskan cruises to make a technical stop in Canada on the way to Alaska.

Alaska senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan introduced the The Alaska Tourism Restoration Act. It provides a reprieve from the PVSA requirements, but only for ships traveling between Washington state and Alaksa.  Murkowski commented, "Senate passage of my legislation sends a strong signal that we will not stand idly by, withering on the vine, until another country catches up to our level of readiness.... This shows that the health and restoration of our economy cannot be held up by Canada, especially since Alaska has led with vaccinations in the country and our communities are ready to welcome visitors back."

Now, the bill must be passed by the House of Representatives in order to become law.  Alaska U.S. Congressman Don Young introduced companion legislation in the House. CLIA congratulated Murkowski and Sullivan "for all their efforts to help save the Alaska cruise season. CLIA and its members hope to return this summer and help support Alaskan communities by bringing people back to work."

Unfortunately, the law does not grant a reprieve for the Great Lake Cruise industry, so the fate of the 2021 season continues to be at risk.

​Source: Travel Weekly

Windstar Cruises announced a new requirement that all guests be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to sailing. Upon arrival at the cruise terminal, guests will need to provide proof of a full vaccine treatment (if it is a two-shot vaccine, the second shot must be completed 14 days before boarding.)

Windstar Cruises offers small-ship and yacht cruises at over 150 ports around the world. Their 2022 Great Lakes Cruise offering includes an 11-day Montreal-Boston itinerary, sailing in September and October 2022.

The cruise line is offering their "Beyond Ordinary Care" program, representing a multi-million dollar investment in HEPA filters, UV-C germicidal irradiation, and other upgrades to provide a healthy environment. They are currently not sailing, but are offering 2022 and 2023 voyages for sale.

​Source: Windstar Website

Virgin Voyages is the latest cruise line to announce that all crew and guests must be vaccinated against COVID-19 before sailing. Tom McAlpin, Virgin Voyages' CEO, said "The is a step towards the safe return to sailing and is the right decision for Virgin Voyages. We're really encouraged by the latest rollout plans in the May time frame from the new administration, and we know the future is about vaccinations. Our business makes us uniquely set up to do this with testing and vaccine travel requirements." 

In addition, on March 17th, P&O Cruises has announced a vaccine requirement for guests as well. This applies to their newly launched cruises solely for UK residents. While most cruise lines require that guests' vaccine regimen be completed 14 days before departure, to allow plenty of time for immunity to kick in, P&O is allowing guests to sail within 7 days of their vaccination. P&O said that the decision was made due to the "advanced progress of the UK vaccination program and strong expressed preference on the part of our guests."

For Great Lake Cruising only one cruise line has announced a requirement that all guests be vaccinated. Pearl Seas, Viking Expeditions and Ponant have said they will have comprehensive testing, but Victory Cruise Lines announced they would require 100% of crew and guests to be vaccinated before sailing.

Source: Business Insider