Tourism operators hard at work getting ready for the return of cruise ships

Port of Halifax spokesperson Lane Farguson said the restart is not without its challenges

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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Many tourism operators are working hard to get ready for the return of Halifax’s cruise ship season.

After a two year COVID-19 related hiatus, the first two vessels of 2022 will arrive on April 26.

But Port of Halifax spokesperson Lane Farguson said the restart is not without its challenges.

“In a normal year, you can pretty much expect that most of your staff will come back, but after a two year break, a lot of those folks have found jobs elsewhere and some people have moved into retirement,” he explained.

“And making sure that everything is going to fire up after a couple years of break. If you leave a machine for a couple of years without running it, it might not spark back up the way that you want it to,” he told CityNews Halifax.

Before the 2020 season was scrapped due to COVID-19, the Port of Halifax had been expecting a record-breaking number of ships and passengers.

And as travel restrictions dragged on, the federal government extended its ban on cruise ships, also resulting in the cancellation of the 2021 season.

The ban was lifted in November 2021, but some COVID-19-related protocols remain in place.

“Anyone sailing on a ship in Canadian waters, those people on the vessels, passengers and crew, must be fully vaccinated,” Farguson said. “And there’s testing requirements.”

Anyone entering the country also needs to fill out the ArriveCan app and anyone who tests positive or becomes symptomatic while on a ship will need to isolate.

“Cruise lines are developing their own safety protocols for isolation requirements, how to move people safely within the vessel, enhance air filtration, and a ship-to-shore checklist that then needs to be signed off by the port authority, and can be requested by Transport Canada at anytime to make sure all of these protocols are being followed,” Farguson stated.

He expects measures will evolve throughout the season, meaning the rules could change by the time Halifax’s cruise ship season hits its peak this fall.

Halifax’s last cruise ship season in 2019 pumped around $165 million into our local economy, benefiting tour operators, attractions and local bars, shops and restaurants, along with businesses selling food, drink and other supplies to restock the vessels before they return to sea.

Highlights of the Port of Halifax 2022 cruise ship season include:

• Three days when four ships are visiting
• One day when five ships are visiting (Oct. 11)
• One visit from Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas on June 7, the largest cruise vessel to call on Halifax to date
• Two visits from the Cunard Line Queen Mary 2, on July 6 and October 5
• One visit from Disney Cruise Line Disney Magic, on October 14

The season is scheduled to wrap up Nov. 5 when Oceania Cruises’ Insignia departs at 4 p.m.