Cruise Industry Returns to Canada The first ship Victoria, bc.

The first cruise ship to Canada since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic sank in Victoria, BC on Saturday.

Carrying approximately 1,200 passengers and less than half its capacity, Holland arrived in the US state capital of Koningstam, marking the return of one of the major engines of British Columbia tourism.

The return of the shipping industry comes as some experts warn of a sixth wave of epidemics amid growing hospitals and the spread of the new Omicron BA.2 subtype.

Canada’s new travel rules must be vaccinated and tested for all passengers, and cruise ships, which spoke to Global News on Saturday, said they felt the rules were adequate, with the crew’s own precautions.

“It was very safe. Arrangements were constantly made for cleaning, safety, everything on board. There were masks and hand washers in every corner. I was not worried,” said passenger Brenda Kunderson.

Gundersen and Dale Short, both from Edmonton, said they had booked the trip last fall and had sometimes wondered if the trip would continue.

“COVID has not stopped, it’s a concern, it’s a minor concern, so our ups and downs were amazing,” Short said.

“Some of the insurance items they provided, like repayments, gave him peace of mind that if something happened, he would not have to be without anything.”

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Sandy Boshard, Mo., of Kansas City, said the ship will be its first voyage after 2019.

“I think they are (safe),” he said.

“I have kids who disagree with me and think I’m crazy about doing this, but I do. I do not know if they would feel the same way if they were full.

Hollande President Gustavo Andorza told Global News that the shipping line has implemented various safety regulations, including weekly inspections and mandatory masks for employees, hand sanitizers and improved air filtration.

He said the company believes those measures will be sufficient to ensure safe travel.

“There are layers of security, so the visiting communities can feel confident that we have taken all precautionary measures to ensure that guests are safe, that our groups are safe, and that the communities we visit are safe,” he said.

“It’s zero risk, but nothing in life now. But we have taken every precaution, working with local and federal officials to make sure we have confidence.”

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Saturday’s visit was hailed by business and government leaders, who described the event as a much-needed boost to the province’s tourism economy.

“It’s very nice to see those solid functions here again, and to see Koningstam parked here is a wonderful sign that we have been waiting a long time,” Transport Minister Rob Fleming said at a news conference marking the event.

“Nature is not yet a word we can use,” said Bruce Williams, president of the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

“But to see things in the sense that we can be together as we are now, to see things like this ship coming back, means that we are on the path to recovery, and that we are coming back. So, it’s a great sense of pride.

The Koningstam was the first cruise ship to arrive in the city in 905 days.

The Victoria Cruise Industry Alliance estimates that cruise ships make $ 130 million a year in the city’s economy. Across the province, he estimates the industry is worth nearly $ 1.8 billion to the economy.

The Port of Greater Victoria Commission expects to see more than 350 ships arrive this season, carrying about 780,000 passengers, up from 709,000 in 2019.

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The Koenigsegg was not the first cruise ship to land in British Columbia this year.

Princess Cruz’s Caribbean Princess was scheduled to arrive at the dock in Victoria on April 6 and Vancouver on April 7, but canceled a last-minute visit.

The company said the move was made to allow more time for the dry dock, scheduled for April 7.

However, the cruise ship went to the “Orange” status list of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 0.3 percent or more of the passengers test positive. Govt-19, which prompted the investigation.

Starting Saturday, Of the 102 cruise ships monitored by the US CDC, 44 are classified as “orange”.

Koningstam is listed as “green”, meaning no diseases such as Govit-19 or Govit-19 have been reported.