What you need to know as cruises stage their comeback

was an outbreak that captivated the world.

In early 2020, the gleaming Diamond Princess cruise ship became the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic outside of China. A year and a half later, cruise lines are plotting their comeback, with some companies already setting sail — but a lot has changed.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on the cruise ship industry’s return and what Canadians need to know.

The cruise ship industry in Canada:

Canada’s $4-billion cruise ship industry is a key part of the country’s domestic tourism sector. It employs roughly 30,000 people, both directly and indirectly, and brings about two million travellers to Canada a year.

When do cruise ships start sailing again?

Transport Canada is set to lift the ban on cruise ships in Canadian waters on Nov. 1.

When will Canadian ports begin to see cruise ships?

Although the ban will lift in November, Canadian ports aren’t expecting to see cruise ships until 2022. That’s because the cruise season for Canadian ports, including Victoria, B.C., Saint John, N.B. and Sydney, N.S., typically ends in October. Still, lifting the ban in November allows port cities to book ahead for next year.

Do cruise ship passengers need to be full vaccinated?

It depends. Most cruise lines are currently requiring all passengers to be vaccinated, with some exceptions.

Are mix-and-match vaccines allowed?

Vaccine policies from cruise lines including Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises either don’t accept any mixing of vaccines at all or don’t accept the mixing of a viral vector vaccine with an mRNA vaccine, such as AstraZeneca with Moderna or Pfizer.