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Travel Information

Here’s everything else you’ll need to know for an unforgettable trip to Atlantic Canada.

Airlines and Airports

The Atlantic Provinces have multiple flight options depending on your destination you are visiting:

Halifax Stanfield International Airport - Flights to major Canadian cities, Boston, New York as well as to the United Kingdom. For more information please visit the Halifax International Airport Authority website.

Charlottetown Airport - a 10-minute drive from the Historic Charlottetown Seaport. Flights are offered to major Canadian cities including Halifax, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal as well as seasonal service from Boston and New York.

Saint John Airport - Three or more direct flights daily between Saint John, Halifax, Toronto, and Montreal, with connecting flights to Ottawa and all international points. The Saint John Airport is 16 km from the city centre eastbound on Loch Lomond Road (Route 111 East).

Sydney Airport - Sydney has daily flights to Halifax with connecting service to all domestic and international routes.

Deer Lake Airport - located just 50 km from Corner Brook Port and offers a wide range of flight options.

Newfoundland & Labrador is home to two international airports – located in St. John's and Gander – as well as domestic airports in Deer Lake, Stephenville, and St. Anthony in Newfoundland, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Churchill Falls, and Wabush in Labrador.

Moncton Airport - is located approximately 130 km/90 minutes from beautiful Miramichi. It offers direct flights to Toronto, Hamilton-Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Newark, Halifax and beyond with connections.


Customs and Immigration

All of our partner ports will be happy to greet you and your guests, and welcome you ashore. Please remember, however, that visitors will have to go through Canadian Customs upon arriving at their first Port. Here are a few of the most important things to note.

Guests must have a valid passport if they are visiting Canada from any country, including the United States.

Visitors coming from certain countries will require a visitor visa. It must be obtained at a visa office outside Canada. To know if someone requires a visa to enter Canada, contact the nearest Canadian Diplomatic Mission. For additional information, click here or visit Canada Border Services Agency's website.


Traveling with Children

Guests should carry identification, similar to the above mentioned, for children of all ages. If someone is traveling with a child that is not legally their own, they will need a letter of permission from the child's parent or legal guardian. If they are sharing custody of the child, it is best to have copies of legal documents regarding custody rights.


FAQs

*Please note that the following information, policies and links are subject to change.

Return to Cruise FAQs

1Are cruise ships returning to Atlantic Canada’s ports?
Yes! After a two-season pause due to COVID-19, cruise ships returned to Atlantic Canadian waters and ports this past Spring, with the season continuing into late-fall. We are so excited to continue safely welcoming these visitors back to our region.
2What will ports be doing to keep communities safe throughout the return of cruise with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?
Community, passenger and crew safety is the top priority of the cruise ship industry. Ports, tourism operators and other stakeholders will be following all relevant provincial, Public Health Agency of Canada and Transport Canada safety guidelines, working closely together to ensure communities are protected.
3What should cruise guests know about current COVID-19 protocols before, during, and after their trip?

Cruise ships follow the public health recommendations put in place by the Government of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada and Transport Canada.

Effective October 1, 2022, all travellers regardless of citizenship will no longer have to:

  1. Submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app or website
  2. Provide proof of vaccination
  3. Undergo pre- or on-arrival testing
  4. Carry out COVID-19-related quarantine or isolation
  5. Monitor and report if they develop signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon arriving to Canada

A set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States. Passengers and crews will also be expected to adhere to regional guidelines while in port cities.

For additional resources and information on policies, visit:
COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders

Government of Canada to remove COVID-19 border and travel measures effective October 1

4How has the return to cruise affected Atlantic Canada?

After nearly two years of quiet ports, Atlantic Canada experienced its long-awaited return to cruise. Cruise officially resumed in Atlantic Canada on April 22, 2022, and our port cities have been thrilled to welcome the ships back into their waters.

Atlantic Canada’s cruise season stretches from April to November, with the busiest part of the season during September and October when our breathtaking fall foliage is in full display. We are expecting to have 500 calls to our ports during the 2022 cruise season, extending our tourism season into November.

For more on the return of cruise, visit: The Return of Cruise in Atlantic Canada

5How can I get updates about cruise in Atlantic Canada?
Keep in touch by signing up for our newsletter, following us on social and visiting our website for the most up-to-date information regarding cruise.
6What impact does cruise tourism have on the economy in Atlantic Canada?

The cruise industry is a key part of Atlantic Canada’s economy, creating 2,086 jobs and contributing $347.2 million to the region each year.

Like many other industries, tourism has suffered greatly during the pandemic. Cruise ship visits are important to Atlantic Canada’s tourism sector, providing many millions of dollars of business to tourism operators as well as small businesses like retail stores, restaurants, craft breweries, coffee shops and others.

We are so pleased to see these visitors enjoying all that our region has to offer once again.

7When will the requirements for cruise resumption be finalized?
Transport Canada (TC) announced Interim Order No. 3 on March 31, 2022, respecting vessel restrictions and vaccination requirements due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
8Who receives COVID-19 Management Plans?
Interim Order No. 3 states vessels notify the Minister of Transport Canada that a COVID-19 Management Plan has been implemented. A copy of the plan must be maintained on board the vessel and must be made available to the Minister of Transport upon request.
9Who receives and signs the ship-to-shore checklist?
The Authorized Representative of a cruise ship certified to carry more than 100 persons with overnight accommodations, before commencing operations at their first port of call in Canada or first entering Canadian waters, must attest to the Minister that they have developed a checklist and that it has been co-signed with the port authorities where the cruise ship is scheduled to call and will be shared with public health authorities upon request. Link.
10What are the requirements for Travel to Canada, and what does fully vaccinated mean?
To qualify as a fully vaccinated traveller to Canada, you must: have received at least 2 doses of a vaccine accepted for travel, a mix of 2 accepted vaccines or at least 1 dose of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine. For more information, please refer to the travel requirements found in the following link: https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada
11How do we report COVID-19 and how is information communicated?

The Public Health Agency of Canada requires every vessel to submit a Maritime Declaration of Health within 48 to 24 hours before entering Canada through an online portal. An additional report concerning vessel information, passengers and crew must be sent to Transport Canada’s Federal Vaccination Mandate portal.

See “Reporting” within TC Ship Safety Bulletin No. 17/2021 & No. 18/2021.

12What is the Pre-embarkation requirement?
A negative COVID-19 antigen test two days before boarding, plus see TC Ship Safety Bulletin No. 17/2021 & No. 18/2021.

13How are COVID-19 patients disembarked?
This is determined through a collaboration between port authorities, agents, cruise lines, and provincial health authorities.
14Will the Public Health Agency of Canada publish a colour coding dashboard to classify COVID-19 situations on board a cruise ship?
Currently the Public Health Agency of Canada does not have plans for a publicly available dashboard.