Alaska Cruises 2021

[jacads]

I was talking with my TA today and she though there was a good chance that early cruises to Alaska on RC might be cancelled.  Anyone else have any insight on this?   I am booked on Quantum for May 10th.  Already had my December cruise on Allure cancelled from this past week.

[Ashland]

I believe it's better than a "good" chance it will be cancelled.

[cruiseguy1016]

My opinion is that, and I know people will argue with me, cruising will resume by April or May of 2021. I also believe that proof of a vaccine for Covid will be required to board the ship. This will all depend on how available the vaccine becomes to the general public.

[bouhunter]

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

I believe it's better than a "good" chance it will be cancelled.

+1

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, bouhunter said:

+1

+2

[A&L_Ont]

27 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

My opinion is that, and I know people will argue with me, cruising will resume by April or May of 2021. I also believe that proof of a vaccine for Covid will be required to board the ship. This will all depend on how available the vaccine becomes to the general public.

They might be sailing a few select times ships, if enough are vaccinated.  However, I would not place any money on Alaska cruises sailing. 

[TravelerThom]

30 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

My opinion is that, and I know people will argue with me, cruising will resume by April or May of 2021. I also believe that proof of a vaccine for Covid will be required to board the ship. This will all depend on how available the vaccine becomes to the general public.

An Alaska cruise on Quantum requires concurrence from Royal Caribbean, CDC AND CANADA. The chances of that happening by May 10 are essentially ZERO. 

[mek]

7 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

They might be sailing a few select times ships, if enough are vaccinated.  However, I would not place any money on Alaska cruises sailing. 

Neither would I - not everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be by April/May and I don't think Canada is going to be ready by then to open up Vancouver or Victoria.

Mid-late summer cruises might happen, but at this point it really depends on a lot of unknowns.

[erinsmom03]

I highly doubt that May cruises will sail to Alaska. I'm not counting on any cruise for this summer. I booked one for 2022. I'm hoping the tourism industries in each of the Alaska cities survives two summers of no business.

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

+2

+3

I booked an Alaskan cruise for end of June.   I think there is a slim chance that will sail but I highly doubt a May 10th Alaska sailing will happen.

 

[irishgal432]

Not Royal, parent compnay is Carnival but:

 

Seabourn Announces Updated 7-Day Itineraries And Schedule Changes To 2021 Alaska And British Columbia Season | State | chinookobserver.com

 

Specifically,

 

"As a result of the deployment changes, Seabourn's revised 2021 Alaska and British Columbia season will begin on May 28, 2021, and therefore, the line has canceled two voyages: the Pacific Coastal sailing scheduled for May 15, 2021 and the Alaska voyage that was set to depart May 21, 2021."

 

[mek]

13 minutes ago, irishgal432 said:

Not Royal, parent compnay is Carnival but:

 

Seabourn Announces Updated 7-Day Itineraries And Schedule Changes To 2021 Alaska And British Columbia Season | State | chinookobserver.com

 

Specifically,

 

"As a result of the deployment changes, Seabourn's revised 2021 Alaska and British Columbia season will begin on May 28, 2021, and therefore, the line has canceled two voyages: the Pacific Coastal sailing scheduled for May 15, 2021 and the Alaska voyage that was set to depart May 21, 2021."

 

No more than what we have been hearing for months from all cruise lines - a future sail date that may or may not happen.

Canada will have to open up before the Alaska season can begin.

Edited December 15, 2020 by mek

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

My opinion is that, and I know people will argue with me, cruising will resume by April or May of 2021. I also believe that proof of a vaccine for Covid will be required to board the ship. This will all depend on how available the vaccine becomes to the general public.

Despite the optimism of the mainstream media, vaccines for the general public are a long way off. The US spit their order across multiple manufacturers, hoping that all would be approved by now. Only two have made it across the finish line leaving the US well short of the required vaccines. And reorders of Pfizer and Moderna put the US at the back of the line behind other countries. 

 

That's just the US. A large proportion of cruise customers are not from the US. 

 

Requirements for vaccination on planes, trains, automobiles, and cruise ships is a long ways off. 

[whitshel]

Celebrity has already cancelled most of its May and early June cruises.  I'm sure Royal is not far behind...

[Tree_skier]

3 hours ago, mek said:

No more than what we have been hearing for months from all cruise lines - a future sail date that may or may not happen.

Canada will have to open up before the Alaska season can begin.

Canada will probably have just recently been through an election at that point.  I think the border opening is more likely if there is a change in Government.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

Canada will probably have just recently been through an election at that point.  I think the border opening is more likely if there is a change in Government.

Get ready for yet another minority....then back to the polls with another 12 to 18 months. 

[Tree_skier]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Get ready for yet another minority....then back to the polls with another 12 to 18 months. 

I suspect that you are right.  How that affects cruising going forward is hard to predict.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I suspect that you are right.  How that affects cruising going forward is hard to predict.

Getting harder and harder to get a majority with 3 main parties  plus the Bloc in Quebec.  

[PNW Traveler]

Alaska cruises on Quantum and Ovation require that Seattle reopen its cruise port.  That is doubtful.  The Port of Seattle closed to cruise ships early spring 2020 before most other ports in the U.S. closed.  While tourism is important to the local economy, it is not the major industry.  Statewide Covid advisories and restrictions continue to be rigid.

[vistapat]

7 hours ago, mek said:

Neither would I - not everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be by April/May and I don't think Canada is going to be ready by then to open up Vancouver or Victoria.

Mid-late summer cruises might happen, but at this point it really depends on a lot of unknowns.

All of this begs the question "at what point, even if Canada opened up, is it no longer financially feasible for Royal to send the ships to Alaska?"  I can't see them sending three ships, or even one or two, if the season will be only a few weeks long.

[TravelerThom]

11 minutes ago, vistapat said:

All of this begs the question "at what point, even if Canada opened up, is it no longer financially feasible for Royal to send the ships to Alaska?"  I can't see them sending three ships, or even one or two, if the season will be only a few weeks long.

I really don’t have an accurate take on where RCI ships are currently, but I think they are all thousands of miles from Alaska. Probably closest are in the Caribbean on the other side of the Panama Canal. Chances of organizing a last minute multiweek repositioning cruise are slim to none. I’d think chances of ANY Alaska large ship Cruises in 2021 are unlikely and fading with every passing week. 

[twangster]

Royal let me shift this cruise (May 10 Quantum) to Jewel Norway in 2022 without blinking an eye.  

 

I think they suspect it will cancel so they are being generous moving off it so long as they can keep a deposit and not have another refund to eventually issue.

[irishgal432]

20 minutes ago, twangster said:

Royal let me shift this cruise (May 10 Quantum) to Jewel Norway in 2022 without blinking an eye.  

 

I think they suspect it will cancel so they are being generous moving off it so long as they can keep a deposit and not have another refund to eventually issue.

Was this recently?  I have been trying the online form for May 31 and it is never available. 

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, irishgal432 said:

Was this recently?  I have been trying the online form for May 31 and it is never available. 

It because it has to be shifted +/- 28 days (4 weeks) and the new sailing must depart no later than April 30, 2022.  Yours is past the deadline while May 10 is not. 

[twangster]

26 minutes ago, irishgal432 said:

Was this recently?  I have been trying the online form for May 31 and it is never available. 

 

My TA didn't use the online site, she called and got it done.  It wasn't an official L&S.