ASTORIA, Ore. — The Port of Astoria is doubtful Astoria will see any cruise ships this year amid restrictions on the industry to limit the spread of coronavirus.
Canada, a required stopping point for many foreign-flagged cruise ships visiting multiple U.S. cities, has banned cruise ships through October.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended a no-sail order through September for ships carrying more than 250 passengers in U.S. waters.
Cruise Lines International Association had already announced a cancellation of cruises by its members through Sept. 15.
“This wasn’t something that was a surprise at all,” Will Isom, the Port’s executive director, recently told the Port Commission. “I’m expecting at some point that this could get extended even further. I’m not optimistic at this point that we’ll be getting any cruise ships in here within the calendar year. I think, at minimum, we’ll be looking at next spring.”
Two visits — the Seven Seas Mariner on Oct. 1 and the Norwegian Sun on Oct. 15 — remain on the schedule from what was supposed to be a record season of 33 cruise ships carrying more than 70,000 passengers to Astoria. The port has become a popular day stop for ships heading north and south along the West Coast.
Bruce Conner, the Port’s cruise ship marketer, held out hope that at least one will visit this year. “We’d love one to come by, just stop by, to show that we’re still in business,” he said.
The Port had tried to lay up idle cruise ships and their crews but was stymied by an outbreak of the virus at Bornstein Seafoods next to its main pier. Isom and Conner agree that opportunity has likely passed, with most ships hunkered down and waiting for the industry to reopen.
The Port is so far scheduled to receive 28 cruise ships next year carrying up to 70,000 passengers. Conner said cruise companies are itching to operate as soon as possible to show their product is safe, but not to expect ships at more than partial capacity.
“If you see a ship with 3,000 people, it’ll flow right around between 1,500 and 2,000,” he said.
“They are anticipating no vaccine, this type of thing — ‘Let’s plan for the worst scenario,'” he said. “And they’ve really come a long way in doing their best to ensure that it is a clean, clean, clean, clean environment.”
