American Cruise Lines cancels Alaska trip after three COVID cases

[Host Jazzbeau]

New article on SeaTrade Cruise News:

American Cruise Lines cancels Alaska trip after three COVID cases

[twototravel]

This is really sad to read. Our cruise departs in two weeks from Boston and we are keeping our fingers crossed that it happens.

[riverselkie]

We are on this boat right now and  I learned more from news sites than they have told us (once we got close enough to Juneau to get internet signal again).

 

Friday morning they let us get off for scheduled excursions (even though by then all the unvaccinated crew were isolating and we hadn’t been told about any covid on the ship) then moved the all-aboard from 7 or 8pm to 1pm with no way to notify those already ashore. We actually had to turn around after leaving to retrieve nine passengers who were on a shore excursion the boat must have known about but didn’t wait for.

 

For some reason they don’t “scan” people on and off the boat so had no idea who was back and didn’t even try for a head count before we suddenly left hours early. We haven’t sailed with ACL before so I don’t know if that is normal for them, but with AQSC we always had to scan our card when coming or going from the ship.

 

It was also pretty clear at breakfast Friday morning that something was happening because 95% of the dining room staff was missing. I can write more details later after we figure out what is happening next.

 

We are also surprised so many crew were apparently not fully vaccinated (given the very small number still around after the unvaccinated crew were ordered to isolate).

Edited July 10, 2021 by riverselkie

[MSEm]

No scanning or counting numbers of people that went ashore on our cruise. I kept thinking, someone is going to be left on shore.  The bus drivers or tour guides did count to make sure they had eveyone back before leaving a site we visited.

[DaveinCharlotte]

Now this is baffling.  Our last 3 cruises (in 2019) were on the Constellation, the Queen of the Mississippi, and the Constitution.  On all of these we were given tap-cards that we wore on our name-tag lanyards.  Crew had a laptop set up inside by the gangplank and we would tap the card on the PC as we exited.  This would scroll the passenger list to our name and turn it from blue to green, showing we were off the ship.  Upon our return, we would tap again, turning our name back to blue.  I can't fathom why ACL would not be using this system this year!

[riverselkie]

The cluster is now up to ten cases. Contrary to what the ACL press release suggested, passengers were not all “flown out” on Saturday the 10th. Many were unable to find earlier flights and were basically stuck using their original flights home on the 14th. But all were kicked off the boat by noon on Sunday the 11th and on their own in Juneau after that.

 

ACL provided nothing in writing to us until Tuesday the 13th, despite multiple requests from us and promises from them before leaving the boat. 

 

The email contains an offer for 30% back in cash or 60% off a future sailing. It also basically blames covid variants for potential to spread among vaccinated passengers and no mention at all about the fact that multiple crew were unvaccinated. From the latest news it seems that so far eight crew members have tested positive.

 

https://www.kinyradio.com/news/news-of-the-north/update-on-american-constellation/

 

[riverselkie]

The cases being tracked by Juneau from this cruise is now up to 16. This does not include any passengers who returned home after the 10th and later tested positive after being exposed on the cruise. My parents, both fully vaccinated with Pfizer and both in their 70s, started coughing Thursday and tested positive on Friday the 16th.

 

Dad is getting monoclonal antibodies infusion today and we are looking into it for Mom.

 

ACL-related cluster isolating in Alaska now up to 16

 

If anyone reading this has a cruise coming up, be aware breakthrough cases are happening and ACL crew is NOT all vaccinated, nor do they always wear their masks correctly. On our cruise this particularly applied to the dining staff which is a huge problem considering passengers obviously aren’t wearing masks while eating so are at increased risk of exposure.

Edited July 20, 2021 by riverselkie

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Any recent word on the Constellation in Alaska?

 

will she be sailing again this summer?

 

I am on her last cruise and need to start thinking about what to do. Thanks.

[riverselkie]

Looks like they are already on day 4 of a new sailing, in Glacier Bay today according to Marine Traffic’s coastal tracking system. Wonder if there are still some unvaccinated crew in quarantine hidden below deck, as based on the timeline of positive tests reported by Juneau, I don’t think they have all completed a ten-day period of isolation.