Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Carnival cruise lines announce plans to resume cruising this summer in Alaska, Florida, Texas
Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Corp. lines Princess Cruises, Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line announced plans to resume cruising this summer, including some voyages to Alaska after the U.S. Senate passed a bill last week that could help save the state’s upcoming cruise season.
Congress has voted to let large cruise ships sail directly from Washington state to Alaska without stopping in Canada, a step that could clear the way for cruises later this year.
The legislation approved by the House on Thursday goes to President Joe Biden, who is expected to sign it.
A longstanding federal law prohibits foreign-flagged ships — typically the big cruise liners — from carrying passengers between two U.S. ports without stopping in another country. With Canada forbidding any cruise operations through next February, the law threatened to eliminate Alaskan voyages on large ships this year.
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Royal Caribbean Group announced Friday that its cruise lines Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises will plan to sail from Seattle to Alaska on round-trip itineraries starting in July. Celebrity set a date of July 23, but other restart dates were not specified.
its ships in April, expressed its commitment to safety and to working with the CDC when ticket sales were announced.
“We remain optimistic that by working with the CDC and local port and government authorities in the destinations we visit that we will be able to resume safe cruising in the U.S. this summer,” a Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson said to Alaska’s News Source on Tuesday.
Tickets are on sale for Alaska itineraries on the company’s Norwegian Bliss ship for August through the end of the season. The statement from the cruise line did not specify what the end of the season would be. In the past, ships have visited southeast Alaska into September.
Contributing: The Associated Press