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Alaska Cruises ???


rjac

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Check this link out: https://gov.alaska.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/COVID-19-Health-Mandate-010-Travel-Declaration.pdf

This NOT good. I wonder if Royal is going to cancel all cruises in Alaska until further notice. The Alaskan Governor is requiring all travelers to do a 14 day self quarantine in Alaska upon arrival. I'm all for visiting Alaska, but not for 14 days sitting in a hotel or safe house!  Notice the policy does not have an expiration date nor end date. ?☹️ 

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Apart from the State of Alaska’s own measures (now, and/or in the near future to curb a possible second wave), there is also the issue of Canada likely extending the ban on cruise ships in Canadian ports beyond July 1st. 

So unless the U.S. relaxes its own rules on “cabotage” (Jones Act/PVSA), this would also nix most cruise itineraries to/from Alaska.

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6 minutes ago, RBRSKI said:

If this holds true,  RCCL is gonna have two more ships they won't know what to do with!  The Annual Meeting on May 26th is gonna be an INTERESTING ONE!  Actually, just got my proxy voting via email.

I say they let us borrow ovation for a group cruise this August. 

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There are plenty of words/phrases in that declaration that could make me lose it!  I tried to read the whole thing, but then I got to the granddaddy of them all "ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION".  At that point, for the well being of myself and my monitor, I had to close the link.  

I am still holding out a sliver of hope that I am on Ovation in August. 

Have a great day everyone! 

 

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As I currently reside in Alaska, I'm seeing first hand the impact this current 14-day travel quarantine has had on this state.  Obviously, cruising has been completely shut down until at least July, and it has had devastating effects on the travel and tourism industries up here.  All restaurant dine-in service has been completely stopped, with local take-out the only option allowed.  National and state parks have closed, along with stopping all passenger train service.

The governor locked down travel in the state in the latter half of March.  This even includes travel BETWEEN communities and towns in Alaska!  This has been a very literal stay-at-home statewide mandate.   As of today (4/28/20) we have only had 351 confirmed cases in the entire state, and have had only 9 deaths.  Our "new case" rate is anywhere from zero to three or four a day, and has been trending downward.

Just this last weekend, the governor released "phase 1" of opening things back up, and that is the permission to now travel between communities with minimal human-to-human contact (stay in your car), and restaurants can now open at 25% capacity with reservations ONLY and 10' distance between tables.  This "phase 1" is suppose to last 10-14 days before the next "phase 2" is considered, depending on how the new COVID-19 cases progress and trend.

The restriction of interstate travel is supposed to be considered for lifting in "phase 4" which is about 45-60 days or so out.  This would put it at the end of June / first part of July.

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@MarvinS thanks for sharing, the stepped plan sounds pretty reasonable.  Some of the success is obviously due to the unique, relatively isolated geography of Alaska.  
 

Quick follow up question - how are they dealing with the North Slope?  Are they exempting those trips as necessary?  Just wondering partly because with reserves up and prices down, the companies probably want to cut down the overhead as well as the travel restriction implications.  Since quite a few workers up there rotate in from the lower 48 are they allowed in, are they restricted to staying in state or just using the staff that reside in state and they make the trip up there?  It seems like if they are allowing those workers in, the risks of importing a case increase even with the quarantine period since transmission can happen when people are asymptomatic.  

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Regarding the North Slope workers, the 14-day travel quarantine STILL applies to them, even thought they are considered "Critical Infrastructure".  The oil producers have been either using in-state personnel, or just extending the work rotation schedules of those employees already working up there (in other words, NOT rotating them out).  They did have one confirmed case of COVID-19 on the North Slope, and quickly isolated them from everyone.  The producers have also cut production down quite a bit over the last few weeks, and are certainly scaling back on ALL activity.  I'm sure this has significantly reduced the required labor workforce.

As an interesting side story with all of this, several of the North Slope oil producers got together and contracted with Alaska's largest local in-state regional commuter airline (Ravn Airlines) to provide air-travel service between the North Slope and Fairbanks & Anchorage, so that the employees didn't have to travel with other "public" air transportation to help keep the employees better isolated and separate.  Then literally about 4 days later, Ravn Airlines filed chapter 11 bankruptcy and completely stopped all service in the state leaving the oil producers high and dry!  I haven't heard exactly what the producers did to replace the lost commuter airline service, but am assuming they just re-contracted with large commercial carriers such as Alaska Airlines.  This regional airline (Ravn) also serviced about 115+ cities, towns, and small villages in the state, and has now stranded many remote communities with no travel ability out of their area.  Ravn Airlines was also the ONLY airline that serviced the small city in which I live, so instead of me flying to Anchorage (35 minute commuter flight) to connect with regular commercial flights, I now have to drive 4+ hours to get to Anchorage!  At least I am on the road system, and CAN drive!

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On 4/29/2020 at 4:45 PM, bornidentity said:

i think the last month of Alaska cruises will sail (August), by that time Alaska and Canada will have at least rescinded travel restrictions.

Don’t be so quick to assume that Canada will be rescinding travel restrictions to the point of allowing cruises and/or quarantine-free travel by the end of summer - that will not happen.

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On 4/29/2020 at 4:45 PM, bornidentity said:

i think the last month of Alaska cruises will sail (August), by that time Alaska and Canada will have at least rescinded travel restrictions. im not terribly worried that it wont at this point. most experts are predicting by mid to late summer this will be mostly behind us (until fall time)

Why do we always assume people will apply logic to the dictates they have been empowered (and emboldened by) through 'emergency powers'......giving proclamations from on high is a difficult thing to stop once started.

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41 minutes ago, mworkman said:

Well our booked Alaska cruise/tour has disappeared from RCL's site this afternoon...no more looking at it..now were down to 7 booked cruise. ?

We had 5/15 on Radiance. Re-booked for 7/17 but never paid deposit. Can't do August or September so canceled 7/17 and going to use FCC for Western Mediterranean next July. And all 4 kids want to go now. Only 2 were going to Alaska.... I will get back to Alaska, just not this year.

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I don't mean to pile on to the bad news, but I also don't see Seattle opening their ports anytime soon either. Our obnoxious Governor here is one of the most strict in the country with keeping things closed. He just extended our Stay at Home order another month. He hasn't even started to phase things back open yet. Not looking good

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So I just looked closer at our Governor's timeline. 

four-phases.png.84413c07a2933b1483ea5c8ec6ad36ed.png

We start phase 1 on Tuesday. He says minimum 3 weeks in between phases, but it could be longer. Cruises aren't listed, but it definitely seems to fit into the 4th phase, unless it gets its own category. That timeline for phase 4 puts us into mid or late August. UG! 

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On 4/28/2020 at 10:55 AM, rjac said:

I checked on this mandate and it was issued March 25. Does anyone know if it remains in effect, any ideas on how long, etc. etc.

We are in the process of booking the Northbound Alaska and Hubbard Glacier cruise for late August....may need to hold off....opinions??

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3 hours ago, rtread said:

I checked on this mandate and it was issued March 25. Does anyone know if it remains in effect, any ideas on how long, etc. etc.

We are in the process of booking the Northbound Alaska and Hubbard Glacier cruise for late August....may need to hold off....opinions??

Living in Alaska, I see and stay on top of the news daily...  Officially, this mandate was recently revised/extended by the governor (about 10 days ago) to be "until further notice".

I have seen a proposed plan of reduction of restrictions (5 phase plan) that the governor proposed, and the release of the 14-day quarantine for ANYONE incoming to Alaska (fly / drive / cruise) is supposed to be in phase 4.  We are currently in the middle of phase 1, with the governor expecting each phase to be take about 2 weeks each, assuming the new cases of COVID-19 don't start to spike up.  This puts the expiring of the 14-day quarantine to be around the first of July.

One key fact for any Alaskan cruise is that Canada will need to open up it's ports to meet the foreign port requirement, and we have no idea when Canada will open up.  Likewise, I believe Seattle is still in lockdown for ANY cruises for 2020.

Even if Alaska opens up (recinds the 14-day quarantine), Canada must also open up for any cruises to Alaska to occur.

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Thanks Rob&Ana, MarvinS!! Much needed info and advice! I can see we were a little hasty planning this cruise, thanks to this thread we haven't thrown any money at it yet. 

MarvinS.....where would be the best news source where I could also monitor this mandate daily?

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1 hour ago, rtread said:

MarvinS.....where would be the best news source where I could also monitor this mandate daily?


You can set up a news article search alert by topic with Google - that way you would be notified of any new published article.

However, you still have the Jones Act (cabotage rules) that will make most Alaska cruise itineraries impossible for this season, unless it’s amended in time. Even if RCI can base one ship to cruise Alaska round-trip from an Alaskan port base, I don’t see that happening either.

I’ll be brutally honest here: the more that we see our neighbours to the South blithely rush to new outbreaks, our own Canadian borders/waters/ports will not be so quick to reopen to you as tourists. Canadians have worked very hard, and sacrificed much, to flatten the curve. The majority of us do not want to see quarantine-free travel to resume soon. Our politicians are listening to our experts and to us. We’re just not yet ready to welcome you back, even though we like you.

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1 hour ago, GrandmaAirplane said:

 

I’ll be brutally honest here: the more that we see our neighbours to the South blithely rush to new outbreaks, our own Canadian borders/waters/ports will not be so quick to reopen to you as tourists. Canadians have worked very hard, and sacrificed much, to flatten the curve. The majority of us do not want to see quarantine-free travel to resume soon. Our politicians are listening to our experts and to us. We’re just not yet ready to welcome you back, even though we like you.

Thanks for the honesty and it would only be brutal in the eyes of the beholder. I admit I have been a bit naive, living in a relatively mild Covid 19 area compared to other areas....even though I have been glued to the news. I promise you many, many Americans have obided by the rules but the media tends to focus on the idiots who do not. I had hoped to visit your beautiful country and Alaska, still do but at a later date.

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2 minutes ago, mworkman said:

We have this thing called Waiver, that can be signed that would allow the U. S. to temporarily lift that requirement if the need should arise.

Yes, and twice on this thread I have mentioned that this would need to be done in order to maybe sail Alaska this season.

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15 minutes ago, mworkman said:

We have this thing called Waiver, that can be signed that would allow the U. S. to temporarily lift that requirement if the need should arise.

 

9 minutes ago, GrandmaAirplane said:

Yes, and twice on this thread I have mentioned that this would need to be done in order to maybe sail Alaska this season.

It's actually the Passenger Vessels Service Act (Jones Act is for cargo).  

Getting waiver isn't as easy as just asking for it.  

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Sep/PVSA-ICP.pdf

Quote

WAIVERS OF THE NAVIGATION LAWS

The navigation laws, including the PVSA, can only be waived by the Secretary of Homeland Security if certain requirements are met:

• The transportation requested must be “necessary in the interest of national defense,” and

• If the waiver is requested under Section 501(b), the Maritime Administration at the Department of Transportation has confirmed that there are no coastwise-qualified vessels available to conduct the transportation. 

 

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On 4/28/2020 at 12:43 PM, GrandmaAirplane said:

So unless the U.S. relaxes its own rules on “cabotage” (Jones Act/PVSA), this would also nix most cruise itineraries to/from Alaska.

You are quite correct @AshleyDillo, changing the PVSA won’t happen easily.

If I use the term “cabotage” - applicable to both cargo and passengers - it just goes over people’s heads, and almost nobody knows what PVSA is about.

5 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

It's actually the Passenger Vessels Service Act (Jones Act is for cargo).  

Getting waiver isn't as easy as just asking for it.  

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Sep/PVSA-ICP.pdf

 

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Point being is that the cruise industry would have to ask for a waiver from the PVSA to sail from Seattle to Alaska, with justification being Canadian ports closed for 2020.  If the cruise industry was smart they would be also talking to Alaska's representatives in supporting their efforts to stimulate the economy since a lot of jobs (1 in 10) rely on tourism. That's how they could bypass Canada.  

@AshleyDillo Remember a waiver was just used recently for the support of PR.  I'm not saying that it will happen, just saying that anything is possible.

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14 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

Waivers don't really matter if Seattle remains closed.

 

We just have to cross our fingers, wait, and hope really really hard that sanity returns to the world.

Washington is opening up...slowly.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/inslee-announces-extended-stay-home-order-outlines-plan-to-reopen-washington-in-phases/

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10 minutes ago, mworkman said:

I am aware of that.

I am also aware they have a '4 phase plan'

 

ba7ad5b4-21d6-4e54-9bbc-733f1f7d12a2_192

 

And you're guess is as good as mine where cruising falls....I assume 4.....which is more than 90 days away according to the reported 3 weeks or so at each phase.

 

I also know my Alaska cruise leaves from B.C.....so I am more concerned with what Canada will do with their July 1 date to end port closures.  But I suspect they will follow closely to whatever Seattle is doing.

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welp after reading all the doom and gloom for Alaska cruises this year, I should just go ahead and cancel my July 31st cruise out of anchorage yeah? because there is just no way on Gods Green earth that things can get better and that everyone cant wear masks while traveling, or get their temperatures checked, or not let people over the age of 65-70 cruise for the forseeable future to protect them? I will just go ahead and cancel it.. there is a 100% chance it wont happen! noted!

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3 minutes ago, bornidentity said:

welp after reading all the doom and gloom for Alaska cruises this year, I should just go ahead and cancel my July 31st cruise out of anchorage yeah? because there is just no way on Gods Green earth that things can get better and that everyone cant wear masks while traveling, or get their temperatures checked, or not let people over the age of 65-70 cruise for the forseeable future to protect them? I will just go ahead and cancel it.. there is a 100% chance it wont happen! noted!

Sarcasm is noted.

The issue has become less about the actual virus and more about society's reaction to it.  I just made the final payment for my August 2nd sailing so I am certainly on the hopeful boat ;)....but....carnival has pretty much bagged Alaska for the season, I've seen on Facebook some tour operators have bagged the season, and the whole darn thing has devolved into political arguments instead of true scientific debate; theory creation, hypothesis testing, peer review, etc. 

I just ordered a hard back copy of 1984....it has been 30 years since I read it as a kid and it seems so prophetic of today's environment that I feel like I need to reread it.

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22 minutes ago, dodgestang said:

Sarcasm is noted.

The issue has become less about the actual virus and more about society's reaction to it.  I just made the final payment for my August 2nd sailing so I am certainly on the hopeful boat ;)....but....carnival has pretty much bagged Alaska for the season, I've seen on Facebook some tour operators have bagged the season, and the whole darn thing has devolved into political arguments instead of true scientific debate; theory creation, hypothesis testing, peer review, etc. 

I just ordered a hard back copy of 1984....it has been 30 years since I read it as a kid and it seems so prophetic of today's environment that I feel like I need to reread it.

That is the best breakdown i have seen on this thread!! I know how awfully Alaska's economy will struggle because of this, and because of my age not being even remotely close to the risk ages or any co-morbidities.. I am more than willing and eagerly waiting to give Alaska some relief. I know I am pennies to them in the scheme of things, but i will be raring to go 2 months from now! If people can predict what the world will look like 2 months from now, I have some nice waterfront property in Arizona I'm willing to sell them. They also should start playing the lottery.

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7 hours ago, rtread said:

Thanks Rob&Ana, MarvinS!! Much needed info and advice! I can see we were a little hasty planning this cruise, thanks to this thread we haven't thrown any money at it yet. 

MarvinS.....where would be the best news source where I could also monitor this mandate daily?

This link is the best resource for staying on top of the State of Alaska's COVID-19 mandates and statistical information.  It is updated daily.

https://covid19.alaska.gov/

 

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Princess Cruises and Holland America just officially announced they are cancelling Alaska (and several others) for the 2020 summer season...

https://www.princess.com/news/news_releases/2020/05/princess-cruises-extends-pause-of-global-ship-operations-for-remaining-2020-summer-season.html

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/news/coronavirus-travel-advisory.html

I wouldn't be surprised to see the others do similarly...

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46 minutes ago, MarvinS said:

Princess Cruises and Holland America just officially announced they are cancelling Alaska (and several others) for the 2020 summer season...

https://www.princess.com/news/news_releases/2020/05/princess-cruises-extends-pause-of-global-ship-operations-for-remaining-2020-summer-season.html

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/news/coronavirus-travel-advisory.html

I wouldn't be surprised to see the others do similarly...

Ugh.....I felt obligated to just go make a 2021 reservation now because I feel even more strongly my August 2020 trip will be cancelled.

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