Alaska’s summer cruise season could be saved after the US Senate passed a bill to bypass mandatory port stops in Canada.
It passed unanimously and will go to Congress next.
If passed it would pave the way for cruises to Alaska by circumventing the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which states all, foreign flagged ships must make a foreign port of call.
That is out of the question for Alaska cruises as Canada has banned all large cruise ships.
"This has been a struggle to get everyone pulling together, but I think we are at a place where there is a glimmer of hope for Alaska’s tourism industry," said Senator Lisa Murkowski who sponsored the Senate bill.
Even if it is signed into law there may be very little of the Alaska cruise season left once cruise ships have satisfied all currently requirements of the CDC needed to sail again.
The agency says it expects the first ships to be approved to resume cruise operations by around mid-July.
