Cruise ships without passengers will be docking periodically at the Port of Los Angeles starting this week and continuing through February as first steps for meeting federal regulations before service suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic can resume.
More than two dozen Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises ships will be docking for fuel, food, supplies and services to reestablish themselves in U.S. waters, local port officials said.
Authorities have not set a date for U.S. cruise operations to continue, but the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a “Framework for Conditional Sailing Order,” which outlines a phased resumption of cruise ship operations.
Port of Los Angeles officials said they are monitoring the pandemic and working with the CDC, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the California Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and other agencies.
Ninety-three cruises, which account for more than 70% of cruises that were scheduled to visit the Port of Los Angeles in 2020, were canceled due to the pandemic.
According to port officials, the cancellations amounted to a nearly $100 million estimated loss in economic activity on the LA waterfront, as each cruise ship that visits the Port of Los Angeles contributes about $1 million to local businesses and the economy.