This just might be the year to cruise Alaska…and there you were thinking that the 2021 Alaska cruise season was cancelled!
While Canada’s cruise ban effectively locks the big, Vancouver-based ships out of The Last Frontier until 2022, those of us hellbent on cruising Alaska this year not only can do so but they can have a once-in-a-lifetime experience doing it thanks to small, U.S.-based lines like UnCruise Adventures. And we can do so safely with Alaska’s highly-successful management of Covid 19 together with UnCruise Adventures’ on board protocols and a commitment to fully-vaccinated guests and crew.
Alaska…Among the Safest Places in the Country
During a press conference this week, UnCruise Adventures’ Owner/CEO Captain Dan Blanchard was joined by Alaska’s Governor Mike Dunleavy and Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon, both of whom offered compelling evidence that Alaska just might be the safest state in the country (currently ranked #2 behind tiny Vermont) thanks to its aggressive vaccine rollout and the expectation that Alaska will reach herd immunity quicker than any other state in the country. Juneau’s Mayor Weldon added that as of this past Friday, her city of 31,000 registered only 16 cases of the virus.
UnCruise Adventures…Among the Safest Ships at Sea!
With a line up of 7-, 12- and 14-night adventures among six small ships, guests have plenty of options for their Alaska adventure. But before you prepare for your expeditions, hikes, whale watching and polar plunges, book your Covid 19 vaccinations because nobody—guest or crewmember–may board an UnCruise Adventures ship in Alaska without proof of vaccination. (The one exception to this is minors 17 years and younger, since they have been shown to be resilient to the virus and make up a very small percentage of guests on board.)
Your pre-Alaska cruise vaccine requires advance planning (42 and 35 days, respectively, for the two-shot Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and 14 days for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson) and you’ll also need to present negative results from a Covid-19 molecular test taken a maximum of four days prior to embarkation day (printed or electronic) before boarding.
Masks and social distancing are required while in the interior of the ship, but not on deck or during activities when social distancing is observed. Shore excursions, which are included in UnCruise Adventures fares, will not take place in a “bubble” and, in fact, guests will be free to explore on their own if they prefer.
For those who choose not to be vaccinated, UnCruise Adventures suggests postponing an Alaska cruise until 2022 but, if you do that, you’ll miss a truly extraordinary Alaska season that will likely never be repeated!
Imagine Your Very Own Alaska…The Opportunity of a Lifetime!
In 2021, with only small ships delivering guests to this magnificent land of abundant wildlife and amazing landscapes, the only thing missing is crowds!
In 2019, Alaska drew 1.3 million visitors during its cruise season and, had Covid 19 not shattered the 2020 season, it is expected that a similar number of visitors would have sailed its pristine waters.
This year, only about 15,000 cruise guests are expected to visit while, in 2022, it is predicted that the return of traditional cruising, together with the pent-up demand for Alaska travel, will bring the number of Alaska cruise visitors to at least 1.6 million!
So if you’re dreaming of exploring what will feel like your very own Alaska, this is the year to do it! Get moving, get ready and—most important—get vaccinated!
Photos courtesy of Judi Cuervo / UnCruise Adventures
For more information about UnCruise Adventures, including sailings and a recent podcast interview of UnCruise Adventures’ Owner/CEO Captain Dan Blanchard by CruiseCompete CEO Bob Levinstein, click here:
UnCruise Adventures – All Things Cruise
UnCruise Adventures (cruisecompete.com)
Heidi, Editor-In-Chief
Yahooooo! Cruising is back! And UnCruise Adventures sounds like the way to go,