This week, Canada has contributed to the ruination of the Alaska cruise industry.  Numerous cruise lines, including Princess, Celebrity, Disney, Norwegian, Holland-America, Crystal, and Seabourn, cruise to Alaska from ports on the US West Coast, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle.  Canada has now prohibited any cruise line from cruising in their waters, or landing at any of their ports, until the end of February, 2022.  That is a year from now.  Not to mention, the ruination of the finances of the State of Alaska, which stands to lose over 800,000 passengers who shop and tour in Alaska from those cruise ships, and up to $800,000,000 of revenue from those passengers.

Canada also hosts other cruise lines on the US Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and Atlantic Coast from ports in the US such as Detroit, Chicago, New York, and Boston.  For the next year, cruise lines such as Victory and American Queen will not be able to run river cruises that touch any part of Canada.  Just this week, we received in our mail fancy brochures from both of the above cruise lines, detailing their 2021 sailings, which will now have to be cancelled.

The reason for all this destruction of economic value and livelihoods?  Yes, it’s the Wuhan Coronavirus pandemic.  Canada just could not allow itself to be invaded by all those infected tourists, who would, of course spread the deadly virus to every Canadian citizen they encountered.  “Public health” is now the accepted reason for millions of people all over the world being prevented from traveling, visiting their loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, eating out at a local restaurant, attending school or concerts, and celebrating holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas with their families.

Just when do the people start fighting the Health Nazis in government, who seem to be bent on the destruction of their lives and the economies of their countries?  Just when do the populations of the US and Canada, in particular, decide that enough is enough, and it is time to go back to living their lives?  When is it finally time to admit that the virus will be impossible to contain, control, or stop spreading?  When will it be time to start protecting the most vulnerable older citizens and let the rest of the world get back to work, play, and cruise vacations?  If it is not soon, many more deaths of despair will occur, and more industries will die, all in the name of “keeping the public safe”.

LET OUR CRUISES GO!