For the duration of your tour, you will be accompanied by your Orbridge Expedition Leader as well as local guides. Be aware that some areas visited on tour may experience staffing constraints occurring in the tourism and hospitality sectors at this time. Your Expedition Leader will keep you apprised throughout your trip to help ensure an uninterrupted tour experience as best as possible. We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding in the event that you experience longer wait times at restaurants, hotels, and sites visited on tour.

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance that covers COVID-19-related occurrences, understand the details of COVID-specific coverage, and be prepared to make arrangements to extend your stay for longer than planned.

Destination-Specific Information:

COVID-19 Policy
Under current CDC and Alaska Dream Cruises policy, travelers are not required to test for COVID-19, and testing is at the discretion of each guest. Should you feel symptoms either prior to embarkation or while at sea, and decide to partake in a COVID-19 test, we ask that you provide your own testing kit. The cruise ship does not provide tests for distribution.

What if I test positive for COVID-19?
Should you choose to take a COVID-19 test while on board and receive a positive result, per CDC guidance you will be expected to isolate for 5 days in your room or cabin and upon returning to the tour, wear a face covering for 5 days.

I’ve tested positive, what about my traveling companion(s)?
If you are sharing your room or cabin with a companion, your companion will need to test negative for COVID-19 for continued participation in Orbridge programming. Should your companion not test (or test positive), they will be expected to follow the isolation and masking guidelines above. Your companion is strongly encouraged to wear a face covering while participating in programming.

Am I at risk for COVID-19 while onboard Alaska Dream Cruise’s Chichagof Dream?
The Chichagof Dream will be thoroughly sanitized prior to boarding and throughout your cruise to assure the healthiest environment possible. However, it is possible for fully vaccinated people to contract COVID-19. Please consider your personal risk level and take necessary precautions while on board. Guests are encouraged, but not required, to wear face masks on the cruise ship. For COVID-19 and other illnesses, the wellness and safety of all guests onboard are intricately linked together; staying healthy is a group effort.

Can I rejoin the Orbridge tour?
Yes, after 5 full days of isolation from the first onset of symptoms are completed, a guest may rejoin Orbridge programming and wear a face covering for 5 days. If you continue to have a fever or your other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, we ask that you wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved.

Please note: if the tour moves to a new destination while you are isolating, you will be financially responsible for getting to the next tour destination. For tours with multiple hotels, the complex logistics may not allow for guests to rejoin the group as the distance to meet up is too far.

Will other guests I have been in contact with on the tour be required to test?
No, under current CDC policy, travelers are not required to test and testing is at the discretion of the guest.  We do strongly recommend you wear a face covering if a COVID-19 case has been presented to avoid further spreading of the virus.

During the tour, will other guests be informed if I test positive for COVID-19?
To protect the privacy of guests, your guide will not disclose COVID-19 positive cases. If you have further questions, please consult your guide.

I have travel insurance, what do I do?
If you have travel insurance, reach out to your provider right away. They may have assistance services to help support your isolation period, as well as details regarding what documentation might be needed to submit a travel insurance claim upon your return home. Communicate your updated travel plans with your insurance provider.  They may require proof of a positive COVID test.  Be sure to keep all your receipts for your claim.

How do I get meals?
Contact the tour director or hotel manager to make arrangements for delivering food and other supplies as needed to your room. If your traveling companions have tested negative, they can assist with this.

What about my flights home?
There is an opportunity to fly home early from the cruise in Petersburg, Alaska. We encourage guests who have tested positive to explore this option if possible. All costs associated with an early departure are the responsibility of the guest. There are no requirements in place by airlines that require a negative test to travel. We encourage you to wear a mask at disembarkation and when traveling home. 

If you need to make changes and have booked flights through Orbridge or our partners at Professional Travel Services please contact (206) 319-5011 for assistance with rebooking your flights. If you arranged your flights independently, you are responsible for coordinating the changes to your flights directly with the booking service used.

This information is current as of September 1, 2023.