ECA Costs Reduce Cruise Visits in Halifax

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday August 20, 2014

Canada's Port of Halifax expects cruise ship visits to decline 9 percent this year, partly due to the new rules on low-sulfur fuel in the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA) that take effect at the start of 2015, CBC News reports.

Carnival Cruise Lines is now visiting the city less than last year, and with smaller ships.

"The primary reason is the significant fuel cost implications related to the 2015 North American ECA requirements for these short cruises that visit the Canadian ports of Saint John and Halifax," said Carnival spokesperson Jennifer de la Cruz.

Gordon Stevens, the owner of a local waterfront ice cream business, said the decline in business from Carnival cruise passengers is noticeable.

"They were a big, big part of the summers here for the last number of years," he said.

Carnival has been installing scrubbers on many of its ships that call on U.S. ports as it adjusts to the new ECA requirements.