FILE - This July 26, 2017 file photo shows the Emerald Princess cruise ship docked in Juneau, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer, File)
JUNEAU, Alaska (KTOO-FM) — Nearly 70% of this summer’s Alaska cruise ship voyages have been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic because many tourists are staying away from the important sector of the state’s economy. CoastAlaska reported Alaska cruise industry representatives delivered the bleak update to the state’s Board of Marine Pilots. Mike Tibbles of Cruise Lines International Association Alaska told board members that 408 voyages have been canceled so far. That’s a loss of more than 800,000 passengers. Alaska had been projected to have a record 1.44 million cruise passengers this year.
