Storm Forces Major Reroutes And Cancellations For Princess And Holland America Cruise Lines In Alaska, Disrupting Juneau, Skagway, And Ketchikan Ports

Published on September 19, 2025

A powerful large wind successful Alaska has caused important disruptions for Princess Cruises and Holland America Line. The terrible weather, including dense rains and gale-force winds of up to 60 miles per hour, led to major reroutes and cancellations for respective ships. Key Alaska ports for illustration Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan person been straight impacted, leaving travelers pinch unexpected changes to their itineraries. On September 17, 3 Princess ships, including Sapphire Princess, Ruby Princess, and Discovery Princess, were forced to cancel their scheduled larboard calls successful Juneau. Ruby Princess and Discovery Princess were rerouted to Skagway, while Sapphire Princess redirected to Ketchikan.

Similarly, Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam besides had to set its schedule, affecting plans for galore travelers. This stormy disruption highlights nan unpredictable quality of cruising successful Southeast Alaska, wherever upwind tin dramatically displacement recreation plans.

The storm, affecting respective cruise destinations successful Southeast Alaska, has been a situation for galore travelers who had been expecting their ports of telephone to stay unchanged. The business is exacerbated by nan truth that coastal winds and persistent rainfall person led to powerfulness outages and different disruptions successful section communities .

Impact connected Local Ports and Communities

The National Weather Service issued aggregate large wind warnings, peculiarly impacting areas for illustration Prince of Wales Island, Annette Island, Baranof Island, and Western Kupreanof Island, which are celebrated stops for cruise ships connected their Alaska routes. Juneau, a cardinal cruise destination, has knowledgeable important disruptions. Power outages and fallen trees were reported crossed nan city, making it difficult for immoderate residents and businesses to retrieve quickly .

In Skagway, which received diverted ships from Juneau, nan large wind continued to origin dense rainfall and winds. However, Skagway’s distant location provided immoderate shelter compared to different parts of nan coastline, allowing passengers to safely research nan municipality during nan little windows of calm upwind . While nan large wind impacted recreation schedules, nan town’s infrastructure has proven to beryllium resilient contempt nan weather’s spot .

Other Cruise Lines Affected by nan Storm

While Princess Cruises faced nan bulk of disruptions, Holland America Line besides had to set its operations. The Nieuw Amsterdam, a Holland America ship, was scheduled to dock successful Skagway connected September 17 but was rerouted to Haines, a adjacent port. This alteration allowed nan alloy to debar nan astir utmost conditions while still ensuring passengers could bask nan Alaskan experience. The vessel remained docked successful Haines until precocious successful nan evening, allowing travelers to research nan area without jeopardizing their information .

Storm and Weather Conditions

The storm, which began arsenic a low-pressure system, has brought important rainfall and winds, affecting nan region’s upwind patterns. The National Weather Service forecasted continued beardown winds and scattered showers crossed Southeast Alaska connected September 17, pinch a flimsy betterment expected by nan pursuing Thursday. However, nan strategy is expected to time off an unsettled upwind shape successful nan region, meaning that cruise travelers whitethorn look further disruptions arsenic nan strategy weakens .

The precocious winds and dense rainfall person caused a challenging situation for nan section communities arsenic well. Some residents of Juneau and Skagway person reported insignificant flooding, pinch large wind drains overwhelmed by nan measurement of water. These types of conditions further analyzable efforts for some cruise lines and section authorities to support regular schedules and guarantee nan information of visitors .

What to Expect successful nan Coming Days

While nan large wind has had a important effect connected cruise vessel itineraries, nan outlook for nan coming days looks much promising. As nan upwind strategy weakens, rain chances are expected to alteration by Thursday. This will supply a model for cruise ships to return to their regular itineraries, though immoderate lingering effects of unsettled upwind will stay successful nan region. Passengers are advised to enactment successful touch pinch cruise lines to enactment updated connected imaginable changes to their recreation plans .

Cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, are moving diligently to guarantee that passengers are informed of immoderate changes and that their information remains a priority. For those booked connected early Alaska sailings, it’s important to support successful mind that nan upwind successful Alaska tin beryllium unpredictable, particularly successful nan fall. Cruise lines are offering elastic rebooking options for those whose schedules were impacted by nan large wind .

A Resilient Alaskan Experience

Despite nan inconvenience and disruptions caused by nan storm, Alaska remains 1 of nan astir beautiful and unsocial cruise destinations successful nan world. For passengers aboard nan affected ships, this detour whitethorn beryllium an opportunity to research less-visited ports for illustration Ketchikan aliases Haines. While these changes were unplanned, they still connection a glimpse into nan rugged beauty of Southeast Alaska—one of nan galore wonders this region has to offer.

Travelers who person knowledgeable nan reroutes are encouraged to enactment informed astir further updates from their cruise lines and proceed enjoying their Alaskan adventures. As always, nan information and comfortableness of passengers will stay nan cruise lines’ apical priority.

Source: Cruise Radio

Image Credit: Holland America Line