PORT PROTOCOLS FOR THE RECOVERY OF CRUISE TO SKAGWAY, ALASKA - Draft White Paper October 2020
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DRAFT PORT PROTOCOLS FOR THE RECOVERY OF CRUISE TO SKAGWAY, ALASKA Draft White Paper October 2020
DRAFT
1. A Brief History of COVID-19 & Alaska Community Impacts
On December 31, 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) was formally notified about
a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan City, China. This was the first notice of a novel
coronavirus, now known all too well as COVID‐19, which has continued to spread
globally. As of October 27, 2020, the table below highlights the global and local impacts
of COVID-19 1.
Globally United States Alaska Cruise Ships 2
Reported Cases 44,132,029 9,004,393 13,742 3,689
% of Total Cases - 20.4% 0.0% 0.0%
Reported Deaths 1,169,496 231,671 70 41
% Total Deaths - 19.8% 0.0% 0.0%
Many industries have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19, including the cruise
industry. The first cruise ship to have a major outbreak on board was the Diamond
Princess; the ship was required to quarantine at Yokohama from February 4, 2020 for
approximately one month and attracted much unwanted media attention. Over 700
people became infected, and 14 people died. Governments and ports responded by
preventing many cruise ships from docking and advising people to avoid travelling on
cruise ships. On March 14, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a no-sail
order in U.S. waters, one day after the industry had already stopped embarking new
cruises. The CDC’s no-sail order is currently set to expire on October 31, 2020, and is
intended to control the spread of the virus on cruise ships that remain in U.S. jurisdiction,
while protecting against further introduction and the spread of the virus into U.S.
communities.
With Alaska's cruise season running from April to September, in 2020, the ports in Alaska
and British Columbia welcomed no cruise vessel calls on those cities that rely heavily on
tourism. According to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) of Alaska, the region
set a new record for total passengers (1.3 million) in 2019. For 2020, some 1.4-million cruise
passengers (lower berth capacity) were anticipated.
Annual cruise tourism is worth ~$1.24 billion and accounts for more than 22,000 jobs to
Alaska communities, thus there is a significant impact if the cruise tourism industry does
not sail or is extremely limited in 2021. Based upon feedback from local stakeholders
including tour operators and commercial owners, their businesses will not survive another
lost cruise season.
2 See CDC No-Sail Order, Third Extension
2
DRAFT
Skagway Impacts 3
Up until the week of October 12, 2020, Skagway was one of three communities in the U.S.
without a COVID-19 case. Regardless, the City of Skagway itself will have significant
economic issues as a result of the lost cruise season. The cruise industry is crucial to
Skagway. According to the mayor, the cruise industry generates up to 95% of the town’s
revenue4. In 2020, Skagway was scheduled to have 454 cruise vessel visits. More than 95% of
visitors arrive via cruise vessel to Skagway.
Skagway, like the other ports, have a variety of shore excursions available to passengers. A
big draw to the area is the scenic railway route. The top excursion is to ride the White Pass
and Yukon Railroad, and the railroad is Skagway’s leading employer5. In addition, according
to the Alaska Visitor Statistics Report, 85% of visitors, including non-cruise visitors, shop while in
Skagway. Of the other activities visitors participated in during 2016, no more than 16% of
visitors took part in any particular activity. Sixteen percent went on city/sightseeing tours, 12%
culture/history, 11% wildlife viewing, 8% hiking/nature walks, and 6% dogsledding. Per the
Alaska Visitors Statistic Report, visitors to Skagway, including the 4% of visitors not traveling by
cruise ship, spend an average of $149 while visiting.
Skagway’s geographic location and proximity to the Yukon/Canada border presents a
unique opportunity that allows Skagway to accommodate large numbers of visitors to the
Port. The non-port communities of Carcross and Whitehorse and even Dawson have put in
place services and infrastructure for shore excursions as well as land-based tours for the cruise
lines to expand their operations further into Alaska. These are valuable partnerships and
collaborations for our industry.
With the loss of the cruise season, Skagway’s unemployment is significantly higher than last
year. According to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, between
May and September 2020, unemployment in Skagway ranged from 12.2% to 20.2%6;
unemployment during the same time last year ranged from 2.6% to 3.6%.
As with most communities, there is a desire to remain close to virus free and protect the
vulnerable population, while also needing to move forward, reopen and allow for private
and public businesses to make revenue and support employment. The pathway forward in
this regard is still unclear, but there must be significant joint work done now between Alaska’s
community stakeholders and the cruise lines themselves to establish collective protocols and
allow the communities and stakeholders in Alaska to make decisions as to the 2021 cruise
season. While the season is more than six months away, there are important logistical factors
3 Fact Finding Investigation No. 30 Federal Maritime Commission Covid 19 impact on cruise industry interim report (Oct. 20, 2020).
4 Aaron Saunders CruiseCritic.com, USA Today, ‘This is about survival’: Alaska ports issue plea to save 2021 season (Oct. 8, 2020).
5 Claire Stremple, KHNS FM, Skagway braces for economic impacts as coronavirus stalls the cruise ship season (Mar. 14, 2020)
6 State of Alaska, Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Annual Unemployment Rates for Municipality of
Skagway and Alaska (Oct. 19, 2020).
3DRAFT
that must be considered for cities, tour operators, retailers, restaurateurs and others impacted
by cruise tourism. This includes, but is not limited to the following: staffing levels, housing /
transportation needs, merchandise purchasing / inventory levels, equipment maintenance,
and tour product / venue development.
There are a multitude of questions that must be asked and answered to allow for stakeholders
to prepare for the 2021 cruise season.
2. Alaska Cruise Overview
The key homeports in Alaska are Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco with Seward and
Whittier most popular for open-jaw sailings. Sailings from these ports typically include the
“marquee” Alaska destinations – Ketchikan, Juneau, and Skagway. The secondary
Alaska options are Sitka, Icy Straits and Haines. The glacier options, amongst others are
Glacier Bay, Hubbard and Sawyer.
Additionally, Canadian ports such as Victoria are critical destinations in the Alaska sailing
chain as a foreign call is required for cruise lines to operate within the guidelines of the
Passenger Services Act. Canada has extended its border closure until November 21,
2020; the opening of Canada’s borders is critical to resuming cruises to Alaska.
4DRAFT
In addition to the NSO and Canada’s closure, at present, anyone traveling to Alaska from
the lower 48 and international destinations currently mandates that they either 1) submit
a travel declaration and self-isolation plan through Alaska’s travel portal as well as arrive
with proof of a qualifying negative COVID-19 test; or 2) purchase a COVID-19 test for $250
when arriving in Alaska, and self-quarantine at the traveler’s expense until results arrive.
3. Return to Cruising
It is critical for the industry and ports alike to demonstrate that cruise tourism is a safe and
enjoyable experience. This will mean process changes as new protocols are established
and refined over time. At present, several organizations and companies not only in the
U.S., but around the world, have published, or are working to publish, cooperative and
coordinated action plans to help the resumption of cruising with specific steps to take to
prevent and combat COVID-19.
In September, Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
(NCLH) released the “Healthy Sail Panel” findings, which provide advice to cruise
operators to advance their public health response to COVID-19, improve safety, and
achieve readiness for the safe resumption of operations 7. The same day, Cruise Lines
International Association (CLIA), which represents 95% of global ocean-going cruise
capacity and its Cruise Line Members, announced the adoption of mandatory core
elements of health protocols to support a phased-in, highly controlled return to service.
7 See the Healthy Sail Panel’s recommendations at www.royalcaribbean.com/content/dam/royal/resources/pdf/healthy-sail-
panel-full-recommendations.pdf
5DRAFT
The core elements include:
1. COVID-19 Testing - 100% testing of passengers and crew for COVID-19 prior to
embarkation;
2. Mask-Wearing - Mandatory wearing of masks by all passengers and crew on
board and during excursions whenever physical distancing cannot be
maintained;
3. Distancing - Physical distancing in terminals, onboard ships, on private islands, and
during shore excursions;
4. Ventilation - Air management and ventilation strategies to increase fresh air
onboard and, where feasible, using enhanced filters and other technologies to
mitigate risk;
5. Medical Capability - Risk-based response plans tailored for each ship to manage
medical needs, dedicated cabin capacity allocated for isolation and other
operational measures, and advance arrangements with private providers for
shoreside quarantine, medical facilities, and transportation;
6. Shore Excursions - Only permit shore excursions according to the cruise operators’
prescribed protocols, with strict adherence required of all passengers and denial
of re-boarding for any passengers that do not comply.
With the development of these rigorous safety protocols, the cruise industry is
demonstrating its leadership and commitment to public health in travel and tourism.
These efforts show the industry’s effort to collaborate on all levels – from ports to cruise
lines to governments – to ensure a safe and healthy return to cruising. The key themes
6DRAFT
from these organizations publishing an extensive list of return-to-sail protocols are the
following:
• Risk cannot be eliminated; layers of risk reduction are needed since each alone is
insufficient;
• Aggressive measures to prevent COVID from entering a ship is the single most
important step to reduce risk on board;
• Risk mitigation must be practical and balanced with operational feasibility; and,
• Vigilance in implementation, continuous improvement, and innovation required.
Each community (cruise destination) in Southeast Alaska is unique in terms of their
location, population, medical treatment capacity, infrastructure, tourism offerings
(retail/restaurants/shore excursions), and venues. Thus, it is important to develop
operational protocols tailored to the individual destination that also provide for flexibility
dependent upon the status of the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2021. It may vary as
new treatments are developed, vaccines delivered, or other factors come into play that
influence the virus.
With these strict protocols in place, sailing has resumed on a small scale in Norway,
Germany, Taiwan, Italy, Greece, Croatia, French Polynesia, France, Malta, and Saudi
Arabia. However, Alaskan destinations and what they have to offer cruise tourists are
unique, and not similar to those itineraries that have resumed. Thus, while some lessons
from this experience can be learned as to the protocol methodology employed, there is
a drastically different visitor experience from the community and shore excursion
perspective that must be addressed prior to the cruise season startup.
Certainly, one of the major questions in Alaskan ports is the treatment of shore excursions.
To date, brands such as MSC and Costa Cruises are only providing cruise line-sponsored
/ verified excursions – meaning there are no other independent offerings and all persons
going ashore must stay within this tour “bubble”, without exception. Persons departing
these tours cannot reboard the ship. Given that independent visitation of the ports of
call is not permitted, there is no retail, food and beverage, or other spending ashore
during any port visit. Below are guidelines from Costa Cruises related to their shore
excurion offerings in the Mediterranean:
• Excursions that are independent of the cruise operator are not allowed;
• Swab tests must be done by each tourist before every excursion, as well as a
temperature check performed before and after the excursion;
• Headphones are provided to listen to the guide in order to maintain social
distancing;
• Tour guides and bus drivers undergo coronavirus swab tests every morning before
work;
7DRAFT
• Vehicles are sanitized before/after each use;
• The number of people per each excursion group is limited – by example – no more
than 25 passengers allowed on each bus;
• Masks are mandatory during excursions; and,
• There is no separation from groups and no visiting of shops and venues that are
not pre-approved.
While the cruise lines have assembled their protcols, the CDC has also formulated
requirements for cruise ships sailing in U.S. waterways. See the table below:
Protocol 3/14 4/15 7/16 9/30
Develop, implement and share plans that (1) prevent and mitigate the further spread
of COVID-19 in communities, and (2) prevent the spread of the disease onboard and X X X X
ensure the health of cruise ship passenger and crew.
Suspend passenger operations X X X X
No disembark or embark of current / new crew members except as directed by the
USCG (HHS/CDC + Federal/Local/State authorities) X X X X
While in port, observe health precautions as directed by the HHS/CDC X X X X
Making ship manifests and logs available & specimen collection for COVID testing X X X X
Onboard surveillance of crew via temperature checks and medical screening X X X
Reporting weekly to HHS/CDC on number of crew onboard, overall case counts,
testing methods, crew requiring hospitalization / medical evac (Enhanced Data X X X
Collection – EDC)
Training of all crew on COVID prevention, mitigation, and response activities X X X
Onboard isolation, quarantine, social distancing, cleaning/ disinfecting protocols X X X
Onboard medical staff and equipment to provide hospital grade care X X X
Outbreak management and response plan X X X
Medical care plan (onboard vs. evacuation) X X X
Logistics planning for evacuation and repatriating via foreign government or industry-
chartered private transport and flights (no commercial flight use; minimal impact on X X X
U.S. government operations)
Report to USCG via Advance Notice of Vessel Arrival (ANOA) whenever in U.S. waters X X
Operators who were outside U.S. waters during the NSO (or voluntarily withdrew ships)
must (1) Submit EDC form for 28-days preceding expected arrival in U.S. waters; (2) X X
Complete NSO response plan, signed Acknowledgement of NSO Response Plan
8DRAFT
Protocol 3/14 4/15 7/16 9/30
Follow COVID Color Coding System / conduct COVID viral testing for crew per CDC
guidance and report findings on EDC X X
Expiration of No Sail Order (NSO) 6.22 7.25 9.30 10.31
Alaska cruise port protocols must make sense for the cruise lines and individual ports of
call by allowing for protocls that are scalable (by port and current regional scenario) and
set a standard of care or outcome for the cruise line, visitor and port community. Due to
the number of cruise brands and ships sailing in the region during a limited time, it is clear
that there must be consistent protocols set that are applied for all cruise vessels sailing in
Alaska in order to minimize risk.
The figure below is an example of scalable health screening scenarios that could be
applied to the Alaskan cruise theatre and set the baseline for protocols in each port
depending upon the threat level. We currently do not know where we will be with this
virus in six to nine months from now, but we can mitigate some of the guessing by
providing for scalable protocols that address the cruise line requirements and desires fo
the individual Alaskan ports of call.
9DRAFT
•No pandemics
•Normal health protocol - Health questionnaires, Embark health checks, Sanitation,
Onboard healthcare process…
•Ex. – typical illness, common cold
0
•Regional / localized virus identified
•Checking passengers, no testing
•Upgraded protocols – temperature, visual checks, documentation. Vessel repositioning
and upgraded sanitization process...
1
•Ex. – Flu-type Epidemic (Shoreside or On board)
•Pandemic
•Checking passengers with non mandatory testing
•Upgraded protocol – pre-Testing, option & Quarantine, PPE, Expedite passenger and
crew repatriation, Quick response action plan
2
•Ex. – Pandemic
•Pandemic
•Highest health protocol – 100% Testing & Quarantine, PPE, Expedite passenger and crew
repatriation, Vessel lay-up, Minimize exposure… (Quick response action plan)
•Ex. – Pandemic (worldwide – starting with regional area)
3
4. Industry Return to Business
• PORT HEALTH PROTOCOL COMMUNICATIONS
• HEALTH ASSURANCE AS PART OF CLEARANCE
SHORESIDE • DEBARK HEALTH CHECKS / SCANS
(PORT) • SHOREX / VENUE / TRANSPORT HEALTH FLEX
STANDARDS – TESTING, CLEANING, ETC.
• REBOARD HEALTH CHECKS / SCANS
By the time the Alaska season begins, it is assumed that the cruise industry will be well on
its way to recovery and that the actual return to business functions will apply in that a
majority of the brands will be sailing with larger onboard passenger capacities. It cannot
be overstated, that along with the Baltic, Mediterranean and Caribbean regions, the
Alaska cruise market is a key to the success of the industry as they resume service.
10DRAFT
It is imperative that Alaska provide a platform for a safe and healthy cruise season that
delivers the ability of cruise brands to have consumer demand push ticket pricing higher,
allow for high onboard and shoreside per diems, and provides for a an excellent cruise
passenger experience that will allow for the continued trend of the renewal of the cruise
industry worldwide.
To date, Skagway and Ketchikan have started a working group to assess what the cities
want the cruise industry to do, what they want to see from the communities, and how to
function together in 2021. This white paper is part of the process to assist in determining
what protocols should be in place to keep cruise visitors safe, keep communities in Alaska
safe, develop economic opportunities, and provide for a potential model moving
foreward for other ports in the region. As stated above, it is of signficant importance to
work with cruise lines NOW to address anticipated cruise call and health protocol options
for the individual communities. Skagway, for example, will need to address the capacity
of healthcare and requirements for the identification and safe movement of passengers
and crew testing positive for COVID-19 during the cruise, as Skagway does not have the
facilities or operational personnel to make these accommodations.
Ports, such as Skagway, need to determine their goals and objectives for the 2021 cruise
season in terms of health and scale of economic impact and employment. The
community may choose to forego the cruise season altogether in which case the long-
term economic and social impacts may be devastating due to the likelihood of
commercial operations and tour operator closures, many of which will not have the
ability to return thereafter. Cruise related and tax revenues from businesses allowing for
the City of Skagway to operate and develop needed infrastructure to support the
community would be greatly diminished with no cruise tourism spending and trickle down
from no seasonal employee spending, higher unemployment for local residents and a
very limited tax base.
On the other hand, if a community chooses to resume cruises, scalable operational
decisions need to be made that may impact the health of the community related to
COVID. If this is the decision, the question remains as to what degree should the
community be open and what protocols should be in place to protect the community
and cruise tourists?
Bubbles
The development of “bubbles” or geographic boundaries could be used to deploy
protocols within a defined space / area and the operational model could then define
the limits of the bubble. Thus, the protocols for the destination (commercial areas) and
shore excursions could provide for first and foremost the health and safety of guests and
the local communities visited. Protocols within the bubble would include:
11DRAFT
• Visitor testing procedures, frequencies and numbers;
• Commercial and Shore Excursion cleaning / sanitization processes;
• Contact tracing methodology for confirmed COVD-19 cases; and,
• Employee systems inclusive of PPE (if any), testing, monitoring, quarantine, etc.
How would the bubble work?
• The area within the bubble must be COVID free;
• To enter the bubble, an employee or cruise visitor must meet minimum standards
set through operational protocols, such as:
o Testing negative within the last XX hours;
o Demonstrating no contact with positive cases;
Contact tracing for community.
o Temperature screening prior to entry;
• Goods entering need to be disinfected;
• Areas within the boundaries need to be sanitized on a regular basis;
o Before, during and after cruise operations.
Skagway may be able to provide for a community “bubble” due to the size and
geography of the area.
Tour Operations
As tour operations are a large piece of the tourism offering / experience, they may work
as follows dependent upon the operational bubble:
• No independent tour offerings;
• Approved “Bubble” tours offered (Coach/Outdoor, Rail w/social distancing);
o Plus expanded range of tour options (small group, flights, limited venues).
• Independent tour offerings (pre-approved within passenger bubble) via
agreement between city and cruise brand;
• ALL approved tours offered (with health protocols, cleaning, etc.); or,
• ALL Independent tours offered (with health protocols, cleaning, etc.).
Several “bubble” options were presented to the City of Skagway representatives via a
workshop that provide for varying levels and areas to be covered. Possible models are
outlined below:
12DRAFT
A - NO VISITATION
•SHIPS ARE AT SEA (CRUISE TO NOWHERE)
•WILL NOT WORK IN AREAS WITH CABOTAGE LAWS (USA)
B – PORT BUBBLE
•PASSENGER MOVEMENTS ARE LIMITED TO WITHIN PORT
•PORT MAY PROVIDE SPACE FOR VENDORS TO OPERATE
C – PORTWIDE BUBBLE
•A LIMITED AREA SURROUNDING THE PORT IS DESIGNATED A BUBBLE AND PASSENGERS CAN FREELY MOVE
•SUITABLE FOR SMALL DESTINATIONS
D – PASSENGER BUBBLE
•PASSENGER MOVEMENTS ARE 100% LIMITED TO APPROVED AREAS, VENDORS, TOURS
•TRANSPORT BETWEEN VENUES HAVE TO BE CONTROLLED
E – AREAWIDE BUBBLE
•IN SMALL TOWNS THE TOWN CENTER COULD BE DESIGNATED A BUBBLE
•PORT AND TOWN MUST BE ADJACENT
F – CITYWIDE BUBBLE
•IN SMALLER TOWN THE ENTIRE TOWN COULD BE DESIGNATED A BUBBLE
G – INTEGRATED BUBBLE
•PASSENGERS ARE ALLOWED FREE MOVEMENT IF THE PROTOCOLS OF THE AREA EXCEED THOSE OF THE CRUISE
Other focuses include local government approval, safe passage for infected individuals,
and best practices protocols for each community based upon the health screening
threat level.
5. Best Practices
Overview
Cleaning and sanitization best practices of commercial areas such as restaurants and
retail outlets, as well as shore excursion equipment and venues is not new to the cruise
industry or the Alaska region. Pre-COVID, all were cleaning / sanitizing on regular intervals
(after tours, high touch surfaces, throughout the day as needed, hand sanitizers, etc.);
Most are accustomed to heightened health protocols – by example "Code Red" for
Norovirus required (increased cleaning between tours / meals; separating guests from
other ships; employee awareness, etc.).
Cities like Juneau have had Tourism Best Management Practices in place for many years
(1997). The guidelines are intended to minimize the impacts of tourism in a manner which
addresses both resident and industry concerns and enhances a visitors’ experience in
the Capital City. This program is a cooperative effort of Juneau tour operators, cruise
lines, transportation providers, merchants, hospitality businesses, tour brokers, the Tongass
13DRAFT
National Forest, and the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ). 8 Providing for expanded
guidelines and best practices to achieve a low level of potential spread through the
cruise reception and visitation process, including approved cruise line shore excursions,
independent tour operators and commercial ventures should be outlined for each
Alaskan community / destination based upon their unique situation – size and layout of
community, geography, population, healthcare options, transportation – air links, etc.
For each destination the specific protocols will need to reflect the realities of the onboard
cruise vessel environment including addressing the following items:
• Equivalent health & safety standards;
o Based upon COVID determinants – shoreside “bubble” visits as part of an
approved shore excursion.
o Pre-approved venues, sites and attractions with possible segregation areas
(dividing Cruise line groups).
o Social distancing / possible reduced capacity outside “bubble”.
• Elevated sanitation & cleaning regimen;
o Tours / transfers properly sanitized – including all equipment, transport, etc.
o Applicable to “bubble” commercial spaces as part of organized or
independent visits.
o Appropriate PPE required (guides, drivers, guests, commercial staff).
• Universal health screening;
o Tour guides, drivers, dispatchers, agents, commercial staff, etc. to undergo
health screening / COVID testing.
Testing timelines to be determined based upon levels of threat.
Shore Excursion Criteria / Best Practices
Each destination is unique and there are multiple cruise lines and vessels that call at each
port, thus it is in the best interest of both parties to align criteria and best practices. Thus,
for cruise line approved shore excursions within the “bubble” the following should apply:
• Cruise lines (preferred all similar) to formulate startup health criteria;
• Categorize tour in conjunction with individual operator based on criteria;
o Defines protocols and startup process within the bubble.
Example – coach tour with limited capacity/social distancing / no
stops v. helicopter with limited capacity in close quarters.
Planning for tour alternatives during season based upon operational
model.
o Timeline to allow for tour operators to meet requirements / modify as
necessary;
There will be equipment, pricing, staffing, training and materials
issues to resolve prior to the cruise season.
8 2020 Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP) final guidelines – Travel Juneau.
14DRAFT
Need time for startup over the winter for planning (both cruise line
and tour operator) including pricing and sales information.
There are many independent tour operators at Alaska ports of call either selling tours on
site or via pre-cruise websites that must be accounted for within the process, thus they
must be considered as well.
Commercial Criteria / Best Practices
Cruise line visitors want to visit the destinations of Southeast Alaska and venture into the
retail stores and restaurants, visit other tourism sites and venues, and generally see the
unique communities of Alaska. It is a huge part of the overall experience and one that
cannot be taken for granted as it also provides for much needed direct economic and
job impacts to the community. Dependent upon whether there is a normal Alaska cruise
season, or if there is a “bubble” that must be adhered to dependent upon a COVID
threat level, there should be best practices in place to guide the commercial ventures.
They include the following:
• Adhering to State / local guidelines related to PPE – masks, social distancing, etc.;
• Preparing an employee health screening / COVID testing plan as necessary;
• Conduct a cleaning and sanitization program; and,
• Provide for contact tracing protocol as necessary.
The above items also apply to shore excursion providers and others that have contact
with cruise line personnel and visitors including port agents, service providers, security
personnel, line handlers and other vendors.
In addition to the above:
• Ports should be capable of executing different combinations and levels of
health protocols dependent upon existing status;
• Protocols should be set in advance as adding new protocols will change the
results and add time and complexity to the overall port operation;
• Social distancing will mean each cruise vessel will need more time to embark
and disembark, thus impacting tour operations, etc.;
o While ships are operating at less than full occupancy, this number will be
mitigated, but it is believed the cruise brands will want to sail as full as
possible during the season.
• Areas or tours within a “bubble” will need to be certified (per the European
model), but each destination is unique and should be treated accordingly;
• Certain locations may be challenged to operate at the highest protocol levels
with full port and passenger loads.
15DRAFT
6. Conclusions
The Alaska and Canadian ports of call, as well as the major homeports serving the Alaska
region (Seattle, Vancouver, San Francisco, Seward (via Anchorage) must act to ensure
the viability of the 2021 Alaska cruise season now.
They must engage with each other and the cruise line industry (CLIA Alaska / cruise
brands / CLAA) NOW to identify, discuss and establish the criteria and protocols that must
either be considered or in place in order to allow for a successful and healthy 2021 Alaska
cruise season. It is imperative that there are sufficient economic impacts for the
communities to survive moving forward. Considering the “Healthy Sail Panel” as a
baseline for discussions should assist in moving forward relatively quickly. The cruise ports
should have a list in place outlining areas of major concern, requirements, etc. prior to
engagement; they may include, but not limited to the following:
• Testing of cruise passengers and crew prior to each sailing / en route as identified
prior to port visits;
• Port debark and embark health screening standards – temperature scans, etc.;
• Specific comparable protocols for the safe checking and movement of COVID
positive cruise visitors and crew out of each Alaska port in a timely and efficient
manner;
• Health communication protocols for pre and post arrivals at each port of call;
• Establishment of shore excursion cruise criteria to be used for ALL cruise brands
(may be by port) due to the status of each – for cruise line and independent
operations;
• Understanding of “bubble” operations, if any, for visitation to the commercial
sectors of the community (may be by port) due to the status of each.
o Skagway may be able to provide for a community “bubble” due to the
size and geography of the area.
Providing for economic impacts inclusive of sustained revenue flows and jobs for
commercial (restaurant / retail) and tour operations is essential to the survival of the
community. This should be a talking point with the cruise lines as part of the overall
objectives for the 2021 season.
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