Canada- Alaska Cruise Picture Postage 2003

On July 19, 2003, Canada Post Corporation (CPC) issued a sheet of Picture Postage stamps for use by passengers on Holland America Line Canada-Alaska cruises.

The panes consisted of 10 undenominated stamps with a face value of $1.25, paying the international letter rate. Two designs were printed on each sheet:

The test issue was described by CPC in Canada's Stamp Details, Vol. 12, No. 4, 2003, p. 9 :

Based on the success of Picture Postage, Canada Post is currently testing new stamps with Canada-Alaska Cruise Picture Postage. Of the 50,000 Canada-Alaska Cruise Picture Postage sheets available, only 10,000 will be sold through our National Philatelic centre, with the remaining quantity being offered to cruise guests whose pictures will be printed directly on the stamps. The stamps are available blank and in sheet format and can be used as postage from Canada to anywhere in the world.

 (Not in author's collection)

Usage

Mail from a cruise passenger would be great to have. Unfortunately I must settle for an uprated 2004 cover to Romania:

Ottawa to Cluj-Napoca Romania, July 27, 2004

$1.40 cents paying the international letter rate