Cruise ship season over before it begins

The federal government has extended its ban on cruise ships in Canadian waters until Oct. 31, effectively ending the cruise ship season for P.E.I.

Transport Canada's updated measures, announced in a written release Friday, are meant to contain the spread of COVID-19 and protect transportation workers. In March the government had banned cruise ships visits to Canadian ports until at least July 1.

In early May, the cruise lines scheduled to visit Charlottetown Harbour in July and August cancelled all their visits.

Mike Cochrane, CEO of Port Charlottetown, says there's no doubt the decision will have a large impact on P.E.I.'s cruise ship season and with it, the Island's tourism season as a whole.

"We certainly support this decision for Transport Canada, it has a tremendous impact for our industry overall, our counterparts in Atlantic Canada and most importantly our tourism industry on the Island," he said.

"We were on track for a record year, we were projecting 154,000 passengers and about 73,000 crew so that's a pretty significant impact."

There is one cruise ship, the Victory II, that is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 1, the only scheduled arrival after Oct. 31.

Cochrane said last year, the industry saw about $52.5 million from the sector with about 125,000 passengers aboard the cruise ships. 

He estimates that in a COVID-19-free world, with the projection of 154,000 passengers for 2020, the Island could have seen about $60 million from the industry this year. 

Cochrane noted that while the port won't be accepting cruise ships, it will still be busy with commercial activity. 

It's the long-term effects that are really disturbing.— Kirk Nicholson, Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I.

"We have a lot of aggregate vessels that come into P.E.I. We live on a sand bar so we need a lot of aggregate to come here, so all those vessels continue to operate," he said. 

"We also pump in greater than 90 per cent of the petroleum that comes into P.E.I."

'Robust plan to return'

Cochrane said figuring out what's in store for the 2021 season and devising a strategy as to how to move forward will require a group effort.

"All we can do right now is to continue to work with our regional counterparts in Atlantic Canada, Transport Canada to make sure, you know, when cruise [ships] are ready to return, that we do it right," he said. 

My understanding is that 93 per cent of the folks who arrive on the ships get off the ship here.— Kirk Nicholson, Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I.

"When the time is right to return, I mean, we want to ensure the safety of both the community and the cruise lines. Everybody is working toward a robust plan to return." 

Kirk Nicholson, president of the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I., said the industry is getting used to receiving bad news. 

Nicholson estimates that the effects of this year's lost cruise ship season, along with this year's tourism season, will carry on for years to come.

"It's always been a popular port," he said. "My understanding is that 93 per cent of the folks who arrive on the ships get off the ship here." 

Per passenger, Nicholson said that's about $100 of potential revenue lost for tourism operators in Charlottetown while ships are docked and passengers are taking in the local sights and shops.   

"It's the long-term effects that are really disturbing," he said. 

Nicholson said passengers on cruise ships often become tourists who are likely to return to the Island, whether it's by air, ship or even car, but this year they won't be coming and "that's hard to replace." 

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