Canada's ban of cruise ships for a year compelled the US Congress to work together in trying to reach a better decision.
Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have sent a bipartisan letter to the Canadian Ambassador to the United States, concerning the 1-year extension of the cruise ship ban. On February 4, Canada's Minister of Transport announced a ban on all cruise ships from Canadian waters until February 28, next year.
The letter was signed by Congressmen Peter DeFazio, Sam Graves, Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Bob Gibbs, and Don Young.
In the letter, they share their concern regarding the ban, and encourage Canada to "find a mutually agreeable solution."
"We would like to encourage the Government of Canada to work with the U.S. government and industry stakeholders to find a mutually agreeable solution."
The group suggests Canada allowing cruise ships to conduct a "technical stop" whereby the country would permit cruise ship calls in Canada without disembarking passengers.
"It is our hope that this solution would both address the important health concerns of Canadian authorities and allow cruises to resume with the approval of U.S. Government authorities when it is deemed safe to do so."
Due to the USA's laws, foreign-flagged cruise vessels must stop in a foreign seaport in case they sail from the USA. By Canada denying entry into its waters, that leaves no foreign seaports for cruise ships to sail to within the vicinity of Alaska and New England.
Earlier in February, a joint statement by Alaska's Senators and Congressmen called Canada's cruise ship ban, "unacceptable".