There’s been extra scrutiny on the cruise ship industry after coronovirus cases spread on some vessels. Two major cruise lines announced they will suspend service through early May to address health and safety concerns.
Princess Cruises President Jan Swartz announced a two month pause in operations on Thursday morning. Some trips already sailing will be cut short. That’s a response to coronavirus cases and quarantines aboard two of their cruise liners.
“This is perhaps the most difficult decision in our history because we understand the incredible impact it has on countless people,” she said.
The company assured customers they would be credited for a future cruise or get a cash refund and told travel agents it would protect their commissions. Sailings are scheduled to resume in early May.
Viking Cruises made a similar announcement on Wednesday in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The cruise line will suspend service until May 1st.
First sailings in Southeast Alaska start in late April. The cruise ship industry supports thousands of businesses and 1 in 10 jobs statewide.
Sarah Leonard heads up Alaska Travel Industry Association. She said the industry’s decision to cancel is in line with their values.
“We want to continue to provide safe experiences in Alaska. And I think that that’s what we’re seeing from cruise ship partners and from other tourism businesses,” she said.
It’s hard to predict what the impact of cancellations will be. Leonard said the season will be delayed at the very least.
“Beyond that, I can’t really project as the situation is really evolving daily, sometimes hourly,” said Leonard.
Skagway welcomed about a million cruise ship tourists last year and was bracing for a significant increase in tourist traffic this summer. Mayor Andrew Cremata said he’s glad the announcement came early, before the season is in full swing.
“We do know we’re going to take a hit. It’s just a question of: Are we going to make that a 10 percent hit? A fifty percent hit? A sixty percent hit? We just don’t know,” he said.
The suspension of service will only affect two scheduled port calls in Skagway, but the future is still uncertain for the town. Cremata’s biggest concern is that people follow health and safety protocols and keep the virus under control.
