NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line announced Tuesday morning, June 30, that they will be canceling the remainder of 2020 Alaska cruise season. The move comes weeks after all major cruise shipping companies canceled their Alaska 2020 itinerary programs.
In a statement, NCL said:
“While we remained hopeful that we would resume our Seattle-based Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy Alaska sailings in September 20202, today’s suspension includes the following cruises.”
The company then lists the NCL Joy ship cruises for September 5, 12, 19 and 26, along with the NCL Bliss ship's departures September 6, 13, 20, 27, and October 4.
In May, while canceling the majority of their sailings through September and some into October, NCL left a number of their Seattle-based Alaskan roundtrips. At the time, they said they were “hopeful that through the support of the Alaska delegation and openness of mayors of Alaska Port towns," they had the potential to resume sailings in September.
Port Seattle (NCL's 2020 homeport for Alaska) has been closed since March 2020 and has shown no indication they are prepared to resume cruises.
As with other passengers who had their voyages canceled due to the COVID crisis, NCL is offering a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) valued at 125% of the fare paid. FCC can be applied within a year of the date they're issued on any NCL sailing through December 31, 2022. Passengers preferring a cash refund can submit their requests from 9 AM, July 6 through midnight July 17, 2020.
NCL has suspended all sailings through September and some of the scheduled October sailings.