The Port of Seattle announced it has cancelled the first two cruise ship calls of the Alaska cruise season due to concern over the spread of coronavirus.
The April 1 and April 5 visits were one-day “port of call” sailings, which means that the vessel makes a one-day stop in Seattle on its way to a different destination. Most cruise ships begin and end their sailings from Seattle.
“This region is in a public health emergency and we will cancel the first two sailings of our cruise season,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Peter Steinbrueck. “The health, safety, and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority.”
The Port of Seattle indicated they will continue to monitor the situation to make a decision on future sailings.
The impact of closing the Port of Seattle to cruise ships would have a big impact on the local economy. Local suppliers provide the vessel with goods and supplies, and guests often spend time in the region before or after their cruise. As a result, each homeport sailing creates approximately $4 million in business activity for the region. Cruise season in Seattle generates nearly $900 million in business activity and supports 5,500 jobs.
Matt Hochberg
Matt loves to cruise, and started Cruise.Blog as a place to share different cruise experiences, advice, and what to know before going on a cruise.
He lives in Florida with his wife and two daughters, where he can be found on any given day trying to convince his wife they "need" to book another cruise.
