Norwegian Cruise Line plans to restart U.S. operations this summer with Alaska cruises from Seattle on Norwegian Bliss beginning Aug. 7.
All guests and crew are required to be fully vaccinated. The cruises will operate under the guidelines outlined in the company's SailSAFE health and safety program.
The restart of cruising in the U.S. is contingent on approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which the company said it "expects to be granted in the coming days." Several other major cruise lines last week announced a restart of cruising in Alaska, including Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises.
"This is a moment we have all been waiting for, and it would not have been possible without the strong support of the Alaska congressional delegation who worked tirelessly to pass legislation that temporarily waives certain requirements of the Passenger Vessel Services Act," said Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. "We look forward to re-starting the broad cruise ecosystem which supports thousands of American jobs and welcoming our guests back onboard to create memories of a lifetime."
The Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 requires foreign-flagged cruise ships - most big cruise ships are registered in other countries, such as Panama, the Bahamas or Liberia - to visit a foreign port between sailing to and from U.S. ports.
Alaska cruises usually stop in Vancouver or Victoria, Canada. But Canada has banned large cruise ships from its waters through February 2022, a move that appeared to block Alaska's 2021 season - except for small U.S.-flagged passenger vessels - until Congress passed a PVSA waiver last week. The bill still needs the signature of President Joe Biden.
NCL's weeklong Alaska cruises will operate through Oct. 16, offering seven to 13 hours of port time in Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan and Icy Strait Point, Alaska. Select sailings will include Glacier Bay National Park or the Holkham Bay Glacier Fjord.
The voyages will visit Icy Strait Point and dock at the second cruise pier, which NCLH developed in partnership with Alaska Native-owned Huna Totem Corp. Initially scheduled to open in summer 2020, the recently expanded Wilderness Landing on Icy Strait Point offers experiences with the land, wildlife and native peoples of Alaska.
The enhancements include upgraded shops and restaurants, as well as the world's largest ZipRider zip line, the most accessible coastal brown bear viewing platforms in Southeast Alaska, whale watching, fishing and walking trails. It also has Alaska's first gondola connecting Wilderness Landing to the Adventure Landing and Historic Hoonah Packing Company Cannery. In 2022, the Mountain Top gondola is expected to open to offer rides through the treetops with views of icefields, the Fairweather Range and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit people.
The company previously announced its two-pronged plan to return to cruising within and outside of the U.S. this summer. In late April, the company announced plans to operate seven ships from its three brands from homeports overseas.
NCLH established its SailSAFE health and safety program to protect guests, crew and communities visited in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The science-backed plan was developed in conjunction with globally recognized experts and will be continuously improved and modified using the best available science and technology.
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