The uneventful transits of the massive cruise ship Crystal Serenity through the Northwest Passage in 2016 and 2017 have fuelled interest among international shipping lines in dispatching their freighters through the Canadian Arctic. Michael Broad, president of the Shipping Federation of Canada, which represents foreign shipowners operating in Canada, said in an interview that the reports of shrinking ice in the Arctic "have some of our members interested in using the Northwest Passage to cut transit times between Europe and Asia". So far, they are just following events, not transiting themselves. They "are well aware that it's a difficult and hazardous place to operate in", he said. In addition to the extra costs and uncertainty about ice conditions, they also have concerns about whether icebreaking services will be available in case a ship becomes icebound, which is always a threat.
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