UnCruise Boat Returning to Juneau After COVID-19 Confirmed on Board
The first and only cruise ship to sail in Southeast Alaska during the pandemic is back in Juneau, just four days after departing the capital city. On Tuesday, a passenger on the ship received a call that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
The Wilderness Adventurer, operated by Uncruise, left Juneau for a weeklong trip on Saturday. The company had taken a lot of precautions, and its COVID-19 safety plan had been approved by the state.
According to Uncruise CEO Dan Blanchard, all passengers were required to get tested for COVID-19 up to five days before traveling to Alaska and boarding the boat.
But on the third morning of the trip, the ship was anchored in a cove somewhere in the wilderness of Southeast Alaska. Blanchard says most of the guests were off the boat exploring, and some of them had cell phone service.
“And our guest received a call from a testing facility in Juneau, run by the state of Alaska, that their second test had come back positive,” he said.