While the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, across the country government authorities and businesses are discussing the idea of slowly reopening and getting things back to normal. In Wrangell, one of the many industries impacted by the virus is the tourist industry. Now that spring has begun, the time for cruise season is drawing ever closer. However, recent information provided by Economic Development Director Carol Rushmore shows that the cruise season, if there even is one this year, will have a late start.
As of April 15, according to an email from Rushmore, Canada has closed all ports to ships with more than a dozen passengers until the end of June. The Port of Seattle is closed indefinitely. The CDC has also issued a "no sail order" for cruise lines. This mandate can be rescinded by the CDC Director, she wrote in an email, the pandemic can be declared no longer a health risk, or 100 days can pass. According to Rushmore, the 100-day moratorium is the most likely outcome, meaning it will be late July before ships with 250 combined passengers and crew can sail.
"Information regarding cruise lines and their cancellations have been a moving target over the last week, as has anything related to COVID-19," Rushmore wrote. "There will still likely be announcements made in the upcoming weeks as well."
Many cruise lines that typically call on Wrangell have suspended or cancelled their sailings this season. Windstar Cruises, for example, has cancelled their entire 2020 Alaskan season. Viking Cruise Lines has suspended sailings through June 30. Seabourn Cruises has suspended sailings through June 1. All combined, according to Rushmore's email, 360 voyages have been cancelled across the Southeast Alaska region, with a rough total of 695,535 lower berth passengers lost.
Rushmore also provided an updated list of ships Wrangell can expect to see this season, at least as of April 15. This new schedule puts the first ship in Wrangell on May 22, the Regatta. All in all, this new schedule shows a total of 94 stops will be made by cruise ships this year, from late May to early October. The combined capacity of each stop gives a total of 17,222 passengers.
"Please note that the Wrangell schedule is such only because some lines haven't officially delayed or cancelled their sailings as of today's [April 15] date," Rushmore wrote. "The COVID-19 impacts to the cruise line industry is being reviewed and updated regularly. Ships are working on their protocols to ensure their passengers and the communities they call on will remain safe when they propose to resume travel. Wrangell is attempting to secure copies of their proposed plans and to work with the lines as necessary to ensure that our community remains safe and healthy when the time is right for cruise traffic to begin again."
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