April 21, 2020
(1:15 p.m. EDT) – Cruise ships are slowly being redeployed to other areas following cancellations of itineraries in Alaska for the 2020 season as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While the fate of many cruise ships scheduled to sail to Alaska still hangs in the balance -- with many expected to enter some sort of short-term layup scenario -- a few cruise lines have begun redeploying these vessels to different regions.
Norwegian Sun
Norwegian Cruise Line pulled Norwegian Sun from its Alaska schedule, canceling an entire season of longer roundtrip Seattle itineraries.
The line will instead deploy the 1,936-passenger ship on three-, four- and five-day itineraries departing from Port Canaveral (Orlando) during the summer months. Sailings will include itineraries that visit the Bahamas and the Caribbean, with port calls including Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Grand Bahama Island, Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay.
Norwegian Sun will return to Alaska in 2021.
Star Breeze
Windstar Cruises' Star Breeze was initially due to operate a full season of Alaska voyages, sailing between Vancouver and Seward. However, delays at the shipyard where Star Breeze is being lengthened as part of its Star Plus initiative prompted Windstar to cancel its entire 2020 Alaska season aboard the ship, along with a "re-inaugural" sailing that had been scheduled for June 29 in Vancouver.
Instead, Star Breeze will remain in Europe when its extensive refit is complete. The line hopes the ship will leave dry dock by the end of July and cruise the Mediterranean until fall. Star Breeze will then reposition to spend the winter in Australia.
Windstar has yet to release the ship's new European itineraries.
Cruise Critic will update this article as additional redeployments are announced.