PHOTO: UNCRUISE ADVENTURERS
UnCruise provides a uniquely good bubble product in the COVID era, Dan Blanchard said. The focus is on unpopulated nature areas and, during the day, most travelers are off in small groups of six to 12, hiking, kayaking or riding skiffs Alaska cruising is not completely out for the summer.
UnCruise Adventures, Lindblad Expeditions, The Boat Company, Alaskan Dream Cruises and American Cruise Lines plan to be there since their US-flag ships aren t impacted by Canada s cruise ship ban. Alaska, here we come! Alaska, here we come! UnCruise CEO Capt Dan Blanchard enthused Friday in a Zoom news conference.
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The American Queen Steamboat Co. paddlewheeler American Queen. The company is requiring passengers have completed Covid-19 vaccinations starting with July 1 cruises.
Sister brands American Queen Steamboat Co. and Victory Cruise Lines last week became the first cruise companies catering to North Americans to mandate that passengers have full Covid-19 vaccinations in order to sail, beginning July 1.
The move followed Saga Cruises, the U.K.-based line, which implemented the requirement for its sailings launching in May.
But as much as the news was headline-making, it does not indicate that this will be the norm for cruise lines going forward.
All three of these brands cater to passengers in age groups at the front of the vaccine lines, which impacted the decision making. Hornblower Group, parent company to American Queen and Victory, said the majority of its guests are in the 65-plus population that is eligible now, or will be soon, to receive the vaccination.
Windstar Cruises is skipping the 2021 Alaska season and plans to return there in 2022 All but one of the 64 cruise ships off US shores are now green or provisionally green, a great step forward but just the first step in what is likely to still be a months-long process in restarting cruises from North America.
Most major North American lines have already canceled sailings through April and a few into May but some sources think it s going to take months longer.
Plus, doubts are growing about an Alaska season because Canada may not want cruise ships and small Alaskan communities may not have the will or means to handle thousands of visitors under complicated protocols.
/ ListenUpYall.com
Jan 27, 2021 3:29 PM
NATCHEZ, Miss. – Negotiations continue for the city to lease its former railroad depot to movie producers who plan to restore it into a restaurant and entertainment venue, but “we’re so close” to a deal being “won and done very soon,” said Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson.
He said Tuesday depot developers John Norris and Tate Taylor plan to spend almost $1 million to renovate and reopen the old Broadway Street train station. This is more than earlier envisioned.
It’s been a year since the Natchez Board of Aldermen agreed to start negotiations with Norris and Taylor on finishing the city-owned depot’s restoration and bringing it back to life, but various complications – including the COVID public-health crisis – have stalled the process.
(Image: Ulstein)
Expedition cruise vessel Ocean Victory, under construction at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China, is slated to commence sea trials by the end of the week, Norwegian designer Ulstein revealed Thursday.
The newbuild is the third in the Ulstein-designed CX103 INFINITY series for U.S.-based owner SunStone Ships.
The 104.4-meter-long vessel offers capacity for 200 passengers in 93 suites, 68 with balconies, nine with French balconies and 16 with panoramic windows. An infinity pool has been installed, and the bridge wings have been replaced by two observation platforms.
The vessels are Ice Class 1A, Polar Code 6, and are being built with Safe Return to Port, dynamic positioning, and Zero Speed Stabilizers. The vessels featuring the X-Bow by Ulstein Design & Solutions.