Plans by operators of small-ship cruises in the U.S. to begin cruises this summer have run aground on a shoal of new restrictions as many areas have suffered increased infection rates.
One line in particular, American Cruise Lines, whose ships are all well under the 250 passenger-and-crew limit set by CDC for exemption from its no-sail order, has had each of its first attempts shut down one-by-one, and it now seems unlikely that they or other operators will be able to sail this summer.
The first cancellation came when a plan for a cruise on the Columbia River that was to start on June 20 ran into new Oregon travel restrictions. Northwest restrictions also played a part in cancellation this week of Alaska trips that would have started next week. Two other companies have also had to put off Alaska plans.
American Cruise Lines had also hoped to begin cruises on the Mississippi this week, but that plan had to be cancelled as case counts soared in states along the river. As a final blow to plans for this summer, Bar Harbor, Maine, the intended feature of cruises the company had hoped to begin in August, voted to bar all cruise ships for the rest of the year.
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