Big-ship cruises to Alaska finally resume today after a nearly 2-year hiatus
The unprecedented, nearly-two-year hiatus for big-ship Alaska cruises finally ends today.
In a watershed moment for the comeback of cruising, Royal Caribbean late Monday will kick off the first voyage to the "last frontier" state by a major cruise ship since the last week of September in 2019.
The seven-night sailing on the line's 2,143-passenger Serenade of the Seas will begin in Seattle and feature calls at the Alaskan ports of Sitka, Icy Strait Point, Juneau and Ketchikan.
Royal Caribbean will be just the first of more than half a dozen major cruise lines to restart sailings to Alaska in the coming weeks -- all out of Seattle.
The sailings are restarting just eight weeks after President Joe Biden signed legislation that temporarily allows foreign-flagged cruise ships such as those operated by Royal Caribbean to sail to Alaska without stopping in Canada, as is normally required by law.
The legislation, called the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, was necessary for Royal Caribbean and other major lines to restart cruises to Alaska because Canada currently is closed to cruise ships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alaskan legislators who pushed for the waiver have said the restart of big-ship Alaska cruising is critical to the economic survival of Alaskan tourist towns such as Juneau and Ketchikan, which rely on cruise ships to deliver more than 90% of their visitors in a normal year.
Tourism is a huge part of the Alaskan economy, and cruise ships play an outsized role in bringing tourists to the state. In a typical year, Alaska draws about 2 million visitors. Of those, nearly 1.2 million — or almost 60% — come by cruise ship.
The restart of cruising to Alaska comes just weeks after cruises finally restarted in the Caribbean after a 15-month hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cruising is ramping up in Europe, too.
The three regions are the biggest for cruising around the world.
Cruising around the world halted in March 2020 after the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic, and most cruise vessels around the world have yet to restart operations.
Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean
In sailing to Alaska out of Seattle, Serenade of the Seas becomes just the second Royal Caribbean ship to resume voyages from a U.S. port since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Royal Caribbean operated its first sailing out of a U.S. port in 16 months on July 2, when its 3,926-passenger Freedom of the Seas resumed trips out of Miami. The voyage came less than a week after Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Edge became the first major cruise vessel from any line to sail from a U.S. port in 16 months.
While many major U.S. vacation destinations on land, including Disney World near Orlando, reopened to tourists many months ago, cruise lines have been delayed in restarting sailings in U.S. waters due to restrictions implemented by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Until recently, the CDC had blocked all but the smallest cruise ships from sailing in U.S. waters. This effectively shut down big-ship cruising in not just U.S. waters but also all of North America. Most big cruise ships that sail in North America use U.S. ports as a base.
Like all the lines in the midst of restarting departures, Royal Caribbean is implementing a long list of new health and safety measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 onboard Serenade of the Seas.
The new measures include a requirement that all passengers 16 years of age and older show proof of vaccination before boarding. Passengers under the age of 16 can sail without a COVID-19 vaccine, but they will be required to take a PCR test for COVID-19 when checking in at the terminal and an antigen test for COVID-19 onboard the ship near the end of the voyage.
Passengers under the age of 2 are exempt from the testing requirements.
In addition, all passengers ages 2 and up, including vaccinated passengers, will have to wear masks on board the ship when in interior areas, and the ship's venues will be configured for social distancing. Some ship venues will be open to vaccinated passengers only.
Travel parties with unvaccinated passengers will not be able to leave the ship in ports unless they purchase a local tour through Royal Caribbean.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees