Trade war takes aim at cruise line stops in Canada
One lawmaker says cruise stops in Canadian ports could get cut as tariff tensions continue to rise between the U.S. and Canada.
As Canada hits back at the U.S. with retaliatory tolls in response to U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, cruises are continuing to get caught in the crossfire.
In the weeks since U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to impose new tariffs on imports from Canada on Feb. 1, Canadians have been quick to answer Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call to "choose Canada" in response. For many Canadians, choosing Canada meant canceling cruises sailing to and from U.S. ports and with U.S-based cruise lines.
Related: Trump tariffs spark U.S. cruise boycott among Canadians
The patriotic movement sweeping through Canada is expected to lead to huge economic losses for the U.S., as Canada is its top source of international visitors. Even a 10% reduction in Canadian travel could translate to $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Alaska has stood to be significantly impacted by Canadians calling off their cruise vacations since a significant portion of Alaska cruises depart from Vancouver.
As tariff tensions continue to spiral, Alaska is now taking a stand too, putting cruises at the center of its retaliatory threats.
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Alaska senator warns that Alaska cruises could drop Canadian ports
British Columbia Premier David Eby has riled up Alaska lawmakers after proposing new legislation that would allow British Columbia to impose tolls and fees on U.S. commercial vehicles traveling through the Canadian province to Alaska.
In response to Eby’s announcement, Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan suggested that U.S. lawmakers could pursue an exemption to the law that requires cruise ships traveling from the lower 48 states to Alaska to stop in a Canadian port, as reported by the Anchorage Daily News.
“That will take billions and I'm talking billions of dollars of tourism revenue from western Canadian provinces,” Sullivan said during an interview with the Mike Porcaro Radio Show on 650-KENI on March 7.
Related: Key Royal Caribbean destination hurt by massive budget cuts
The Jones Act and the related Passenger Vessel Services Act specifically require that foreign-flagged cruise lines call on a foreign port of call during any cruise that begins and ends in a U.S. port. This is why most Alaska cruises sailing roundtrip from a U.S. port like Seattle stop in Victoria, British Columbia.
“You know, Canada, you don’t want to mess with Alaska,” Sullivan said during the radio interview. “If you do, we’re going to work hard on having our cruise ships bypass your ports, and that’ll help our economy tremendously, it’ll help our tourism industry tremendously, and it’ll really hurt their tourism.”
Sullivan noted that he hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that, however.
“They're playing a dangerous game here. And I hope they back down,” he said about the British Columbia government’s new plan to tax U.S. commercial traffic traveling to and from Alaska.
Skipping Canadian cruise ports would hurt Victoria, British Columbia
In the common Alaska cruise port of call of Victoria, British Columbia, cruise tourism contributes about $130 million annually to the local economy. Victoria’s Breakwater District at Ogden Point is Canada’s busiest port for cruise ship calls.
Of the approximately 970,000 passengers cruising to Victoria on 316 cruise ship calls in 2024, more than 700,000 disembarked to explore the city’s attractions, according to the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA).
Related: Royal Caribbean-backed cruise port project takes big step forward
“The industry remains a strong economic driver for Victoria. The Alaska itinerary is an important growth market,” GVHA CEO Robert Lewis-Manning said in a press release detailing Victoria’s 2024 cruise season.
On March 6, Victoria welcomed its first cruise ship of the 2025 season, the Disney Wonder, which carries up to 2,700 passengers. The season gets fully underway on April 4 with the arrival of Holland America’s Koningsdam.
The port expects 320 cruise ship visits in 2025, including the inaugural call of Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. The Quantum-class ship, which carries up to 4,900 passengers, will call on the port 21 times during its 2025 Alaska cruise season.
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