LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Although the U.S. cruise industry has continued to come to a complete standstill due to the pandemic, several more ships will dock in the port of Los Angeles over the next few months to prepare for resumption of passenger sailing whenever possible.
The port of LA reported Monday that by early February, around two dozen cruise ships without passengers for Princess Cruises, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line will dock at the port.
Under federal regulations, ships are required to seek fuel and supplies from time to time to re-establish themselves in US waters as a requirement for resumption of full operations if given the green light.
The Port of LA had 93 cruise cancellations in 2020. The port estimates that each cruise ship visit adds $ 1 million to the LA area economy, which means the cancellations add up to $ 93 million for the local economy.
Last month, Santa Clarita-based Princess Cruises announced that all cruises would be suspended until at least March 31st.
In February and March, two Princess Cruise Lines ships, the Diamond Princess, which sails across Asia, and the Grand Princess, which sails between California and Mexico, had dozens of passengers tested positive for coronavirus, resulting in both ships being quarantined at sea for days .
At least 14 passengers on the Diamond Princess died of the coronavirus and another seven passengers on the Grand Princess. One passenger on the Grand Princess was California’s first confirmed death from the virus: a 71-year-old man.
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