Our family of eight, two of whom are physicians, took an Alaskan cruise with American Cruise Lines on the American Constellation from Juneau, Alaska starting July 4, 2021. We were told that all passengers would be vaccinated, and we were led to believe that all crew would also be vaccinated for COVID-19. However, while we were tested prior to boarding, passenger vaccination status was never verified by showing vaccination cards. A passenger told one of our group that the she was “half-vaccinated.”

It turned out that several of the crew were not vaccinated and had been allowed to go ashore in ports. On the fifth day (July 9) of the 10 day cruise, only a handful of the wait-staff showed up for breakfast. There was no explanation and the morning excursions occurred as usual. We learned at lunch that the trip was going to be cancelled, and we would be returning to Juneau because some crew and passengers tested positive for COVID-19.

There was inconsistent messaging about quarantining. We were told to quarantine after lunch on July 9, but breakfast the following morning was served in the dining room. After breakfast, we were told to quarantine again. Read more