There still may be a glimmer of hope when it comes to the 2021 Alaska season, with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Frank Del Rio noting a strong effort from government officials.

“We’re encouraged that the situation with Alaska and in the Canadian closure until spring of 2022 has been noted by various government officials,” he said, on the company’s Thursday fourth quarter and year-end earnings call. “And they’re trying to do their best. As you know, tourism is the third largest industry in Alaska. And for certain Alaskan coastal communities, cruising is over 90 percent of their tourism business. And so if we can operate in Alaska in 2021, that’ll be two years that they will go without this infusion of business activity and that’s going to be difficult for them.

“And so we’re hopeful, cautiously optimistic,” Del Rio continued. “It’s a lot of hoops to jump through both from the Canadian side and also let’s face it the – we cannot operate as of today in U.S. waters and Alaska waters. So we have suspended taking new bookings on Alaska. I think the whole industry has. But we do hope. we do hold out some hope that these initiatives led by the Alaskan delegation can open up Alaska for 2021.”