Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy sent a letter to the Biden administration, requesting the CDC to update its guidance and enable cruise lines and ports to resume operations.
As the letter says, it presents the findings of a new report detailing the economic impacts to Alaska and attributing a $3 billion gross state product loss each year the cruise season does not take place.
What is more, members of the Alaska state and federal congressional delegations were trying to address Canada’s 2021 ban on large cruise ships. While the governor’s letter failed to address the issue, the legislators urged the U.S. to provide a temporary waiver for its cabotage regulations requiring large cruise ships to make a stop in Canada during cruises in Alaska.
Theese efforts come after the state of Florida sued President Joe Biden’s administration aiming to block the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s decision to prevent the U.S. cruise industry from immediately resuming operations.
The lawsuit asked the court to issue an injunction barring enforcement of the CDC’s order and to quickly lift a “nationwide lockdown” on the industry.
As Florida says, its ports have suffered a fall in operating revenue of almost $300 million since the pandemic began.
All started when the CDC issued new guidance to the cruise industry, as a necessary step before passenger voyages can resume. However, it did not set a date for resuming cruises.