Key Points:
- A low strain system within the Gulf of Alaska will deliver heavy winds and rain to Alaska on September 17, 2025.
- Cruise ports all through Southcentral and Southeastern Alaska can be impacted by the stormy climate.
- Six cruise ships have so far been re-routed to keep away from the tough seas.
It’s the tail finish of the Alaska cruise season, and a few of the closing voyages of the summer time have been impacted by unhealthy climate.
Thus far, six cruise ships have publicly introduced itinerary modifications.
In keeping with the Nationwide Climate Service (NWS), a low strain system will deliver tough seas, sturdy winds, and rainfall to Alaska’s Copper River Basin on Wednesday, September 17, which is situated in Southcentral Alaska.
“A low strain system within the Gulf of Alaska will deliver rainfall to the Copper River Basin on Wednesday,” NWS suggested.
“Rain probabilities lower on Thursday because the system weakens and dissipates. Decrease rain probabilities linger thereafter as an unsettled sample stays in Southcentral Alaska,” the advisory continues.
A number of cruise ports are situated inside Southcentral Alaska, together with Seward, Whittier, and Anchorage.
Southeastern Alaska locations like Endicott Arm, Juneau, and Skagway are additionally within the line of fireside.
Let’s check out which particular cruise ships have been impacted.
Sapphire Princess, Ruby Princess, & Discovery Princess
These three Princess cruise ships all have one thing in frequent: They have been all due to go to Juneau, Alaska, tomorrow, September 17, 2025, and all three have needed to cancel their deliberate calls because of climate.
“The letter says they wish to keep in protected waters. The cruise has already been coping with 2 meter swells. That is good,” a present passenger mentioned, though it’s not clear which Princess ship they’re crusing on.
Sapphire Princess is nearing the tip of a 14-night Alaska-bound crusing that departed from Vancouver, Canada, on September 6, 2025.
In the meantime, Ruby Princess’s 11-night crusing relies out of San Francisco, California, and units sail on September 13, 2025.
Subsequent, Discovery Princess is at the moment in the midst of a 7-night Alaska crusing that’s primarily based out of Seattle, Washington, and launched into September 14.
And talking of Discovery Princess, the deliberate scenic cruising in Endicott Arm that’s usually paired with Juneau has additionally been cancelled.
“They cancelled our Endicott Arm cruise and Juneau cease because of climate. It’s a bummer however I perceive security is first,” one individual at the moment onboard Discovery Princess reported.
The opposite ships doubtless cancelled any scenic cruising that they had deliberate as effectively, though this has not been formally confirmed as of the time of publication.
Caribbean Princess
As an alternative of skipping Juneau, Caribbean Princess is taking the alternative strategy.
The Grand-class ship arrived in Juneau on September 16, and goes to hunker down in a single day on the South Franklin Dock till the worst of the climate passes.
The three,140-guest ship will now depart Juneau at 6 p.m. native time on September 17.
Learn Additionally: Tough Seas on a Cruise Ship – How They Deal with It
Sadly, this replace implies that Caribbean Princess’s deliberate name on Skagway on September 17 must be skipped completely.
She is going to nonetheless be capable to go to Icy Strait Level, Sitka, Glacier Bay, and Victoria in British Columbia earlier than her present 10-night crusing concludes on September 23 in Vancouver.
Nieuw Amsterdam
Holland America Line, which is a sister-brand to Princess Cruises, has additionally needed to reroute one in every of its cruise ships.
Nieuw Amsterdam is at the moment working a 7-night, one-way crusing from Whittier, Alaska, to Vancouver that launched into September 14, 2025.
And sadly, the deliberate go to to Skagway on September 17 has been scrapped due to the unsafe climate situations. It has been changed with a day in Haines, Alaska.
“I want to inform you of a revision to our itinerary. As a consequence of a forecast for hostile climate with excessive winds and heavy swells, now we have cancelled our name to Skagway, Alaska scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday September 17,” the Captain wrote in a letter to present friends.
“As an alternative, we are going to name to Haines, Alaska, from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM.”
Moreover, present friends have reported that the deliberate scenic cruising to the Hubbard Glacier has additionally been cancelled for a similar weather-related challenge.
Viking Orion
Viking Cruises’ Viking Orion is the smallest ship to be impacted, with a capability for simply 930 friends.
The 47,842-gross ton vessel operated an extended 23-night voyage from Vancouver to Tokyo, Japan, that launched into September 14.
It was presupposed to be in Sitka on September 17, which is a young port, however will truly pivot to Juneau as a substitute.
That is doubtless as a result of sturdy winds make tendering operations unsafe.
Nevertheless, the ship has timed its arrival in Juneau to account for the climate situations, and is anticipated to be within the common port from 11 a.m. to eight p.m. native time.
Alaska Storm Forces Cruise Ships to Cancel Ports and Reroute
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