Starting Oct. 1, Canada will drop all Covid-19 border restrictions for people entering the country by air, land or sea, including vaccine and testing requirements. 

Canada will also end mask and health check requirements for travelers on planes and trains and all quarantine and isolation requirements for travelers, Transport Canada said. 

Like the U.S., Canada currently requires foreign travelers to be vaccinated to enter the country, and requires unvaccinated travelers entering Canada to be tested upon arrival and to quarantine for 14 days.

‘A win for the cruise industry’

Cruise lines immediately applauded the news as it enables them to drop vaccination and testing requirements that were in place on Alaska sailings (which require big ships to stop in Canada) and Atlantic Canada itineraries. 

Holland America Line president Gus Antorcha in a statement called the changes “a win for the cruise industry and for our guests, as we are seeing growing interest for booking 2023 cruises to Alaska and Canada/New England.” 

He added that the change “puts health protocols for those sailings more in line with most of our other global cruises.”

Princess Cruises said it will now “welcome all guests on cruises visiting, arriving or departing from Canadian ports, including its Canada/New England voyages and Alaska cruises.”

“Alaska and Canadian cruises are among the most desired vacation options in the world, and we look forward to welcoming everyone who’s waited the past three years for this market to fully open,” stated John Padgett, president of Princess.

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