Marine Atlantic has seen 3,000 new passenger reservations booked over a five-day period since Newfoundland and Labrador announced it was joining the Atlantic bubble July 3.

Spokesperson Darrell Mercer says the reservations are nearly evenly split between travelers leaving the island and those coming in.

While interest is high, COVID restrictions remain in place. Each vessel, the Blue Puttees and the Highlanders, is limited to 100 passengers per crossing, and the Argentia run will not be operating this year.

Social distancing and isolation practices remain in place, while significant space remains reserved for all-important commercial traffic.

Marine Atlantic says the Argentia run is not subsidized, and therefore, is not feasible this year due to low passenger volumes.