Unvaccinated crew members on board a small cruise ship will quarantine on the ship for 10 days after arriving in Juneau, the city announced.
The American Constellation, an American Cruise Lines ship, left Petersburg Friday afternoon and is expected to arrive in Juneau early Saturday morning, City and Borough of Juneau said in a news release.
Previously, three people on board the ship tested positive for COVID-19, according to CBJ. They and their close contacts will remain in Petersburg to isolate, and any unvaccinated crew members will quarantine on board the ship in Juneau.
In a statement, American Cruise Lines said two of the three people who tested positive are fully vaccinated, and the cruise line is working with local and state health officials.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the Line’s small ship will return to port in Juneau and the next cruise, scheduled to depart on July 14th, will be cancelled,” the cruise line said in a statement. “American resumed domestic small ship cruise operations in March and since then has carried over 10,000 passengers aboard 130 U.S. cruises without incident. American operates in 31 states and has worked with each of them to safely resume operating. State and local officials in Alaska have been engaged, and have been working together with American Cruise Lines to ensure a swift and effective implementation of the Response Plan.”
COVID-19 vaccines are required on 2021 cruises to Alaska, according to the cruise line’s website. Guests must take COVID-19 tests as part of the boarding process, and each ship includes a certified medical officer and quarantine/isolation rooms.
There are 162 guests and 52 crew members, including an onboard nurse, on the ship, according to CBJ. All the guests are fully vaccinated and will flown out of Juneau after arriving. CBJ Emergency Operation Center – in coordination with the Alaska Department of Health & Social Services and Juneau Public Health – is working with American Cruise Lines on a testing plan for the unvaccinated crew during their quarantine on the ship, according to CBJ.
City officials were not immediately available for comment.
• Contact Ben Hohenstatt at (907)308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.
