CCL-Carnival Cruise Line announced on Monday, May 4, it will cancel the 2020 Alaskan cruise scheduled for the ship Carnival Spirit. The company's announcement further batters the Alaska tourist season which has already been weakened by the COVID pandemic.
In a written statement Carnival revealed it intended to resume North American cruises on August 1. However, Carnival Spirit's scheduled departures after that date remain canceled.
Alaska had been expecting 1.44 million cruise ship tourists in 2020, but cancellations had already removed ~800,000 potential cruisers from that forecast. Carnival Spirit was planned to make 11 voyages to Alaska between July 7-September 23.
According to figures from McDowell Group, a total of 86% of the tourists visiting Alaska come are in the summer, and most are arriving by cruise ships. Their absence will significantly impact the state’s economy.