QuirkyCruise News: COVID-19 on UnCruise's First Alaska Cruise
UnCruise Adventures confirmed today that a passenger aboard the Wilderness Adventurer tested positive for COVID-19, three days after the start of the cruise that departed Juneau Aug 1, the first US cruise to set sail since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
At the time of confirmation, which came via a phone call, the Wilderness Adventurer was anchored in a secluded harbor while off-board activities were underway.
To maintain necessary social distancing there were 36 passengers aboard the vessel that has a capacity of 76 passengers. With the physical distancing aboard, UnCruise Owner and CEO Dan Blanchard indicated in a Zoom call with reporters that he was “hopeful there was no spread to a lot of guests, outside of his four travel mates,” and added that “contact tracing commenced immediately by the State.”
The Wilderness Adventurer will arrive in Juneau tomorrow, Aug 5, and all guests will be placed at a local hotel where they will quarantine as prescribed in the company’s Alaska state-approved COVID-19 contingency plan.
“We are focusing all efforts on care of the guests, crew and the local community,” Blanchard said.