Alaska may not be at the top of the Italian travel agenda in this still pandemic 2021, but it is a desired destination, soon there will be a return to mass intercommittal travel, and the fact that the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) he celebrated his return on a cruise to the United States with the inaugural stopover of the Norwegian Encore ship at Icy Strait Point, Alaska, is a nice sign of a return to post-coronavirus normality.
Norwegian Encore sailed from Seattle on August 7, 2021 for her first season of Alaska travel. “Our return to Alaska is a pivotal time not only for NCL but also for communities across the state,” said Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “The absence of cruises last year was detrimental to these communities, which lost approximately $ 1.5 billion. Our return testifies to our continued commitment to Alaska and the well-being of the destinations we visit. Our investment in Icy Strait Point offers our guests more opportunities to experience and understand the natural and cultural beauty of the destination and its people. ”
With 23,040 acres of private beach and temperate rainforest to explore, Icy Strait Point offers guests the opportunity to experience authentic Alaska. The island also offers the most accessible brown bear viewing platforms in Southeast Alaska, whale watching, kayaking, and the world‘s largest ZipRider zip line. Travelers also have the opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture when they visit Icy Strait Point by witnessing indigenous traditions and dances, listening to oral stories, and attending cooking classes.
Later this week, Norwegian Encore will make additional stops in Juneau and Ketchikan, also in Alaska, before returning to Seattle and continuing its week-long Alaska travel season through October 16, 2021.
Norwegian Cruise Line recently resumed its cruise operations on July 25, 2021 after a suspension of more than 500 days, with Norwegian Jade launching seven-day itineraries between the Greek islands. On August 15, 2021, Norwegian Gem will be the first ship in the fleet to resume operations from Miami and set sail from Norwegian Cruise Line’s new terminal in PortMiami. Until October, it will offer a selection of one-week trips to the Caribbean and four-day cruises to the Bahamas. The redeployment of the entire fleet will continue in collaboration with local governments and will be guided by the strong protocols of the Company’s SailSAFETM health and safety program, which at its core includes that all crew and guests must be fully vaccinated to board for the voyages until October 31, 2021 Working with leading experts from the SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council, robust protocols will be regularly evaluated and modified as needed, making science-based decisions to protect guests, crew and destinations they visit. As protocols evolve and more information becomes available, updates will be posted at www.ncl.com/sail-safe.