Cruise guests regularly book tours to enjoy a safe, enriching experience while in a port of call. It can be incredibly scary, then, when a tour goes wrong with an accident, as happened earlier this month for guests while they were exploring Skagway, Alaska.
On Friday, September 6, 2024, a tour bus carrying 24 passengers overturned after the driver suffered a medical emergency. The accident happened in a remote area of the South Klondike Highway, approximately 35 miles outside of Skagway, near the Yukon Suspension Bridge, where there is no cell phone coverage and radio communications are limited.
The bus was a tour from a cruise ship, reported as “Holland America Princess” and therefore may have been carrying passengers from both cruise lines as well as other lines, as is common for port of call tours. It is unclear whether the tour was arranged through an individual cruise line or independently organized.
The Skagway Fire Department received the emergency call at approximately 3:00 p.m. and responded immediately. Due to the remote location, however, two additional buses nearby were able to respond first, providing aid and communications relays to emergency personnel. Passengers on the bus with medical training also began triage to assist those injured in the accident.
“Skagway Fire would like to thank the two Holland America Princess motor coaches for being the true first responders to this accident and acting without hesitation,” read a statement from the Office of the Fire Chief Emily Rauscher.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also responded to the incident, providing additional support as needed.
A total of 12 passengers were injured. Depending on the severity of their injuries, they were transported either to Skagway or Whitehorse General Hospital for further treatment. A helicopter was on site, but was not needed to airlift any passengers or the driver.
The highway remained closed for approximately three hours, causing the annual Klondike Road Relay to be delayed and several legs of the race cancelled.
While some injured guests did remain hospitalized for several days for observation, no fatalities or severe injuries were reported. The driver is also reported as recovering well.
The exact ship the cruise passengers were from has not been identified, nor have the identities of the injured parties been released in order to preserve their privacy.
Skagway is one of the more popular destinations for Alaska cruises and is visited by a number of cruise lines. On September 6, four vessels were in port: Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Spirit, Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess, and Viking Cruises’ Viking Ocean.
Are Tours Safe?
While cruise tours are generally safe and an excellent way to more deeply delve into the culture, history, and uniqueness of each port of call, accidents can always happen.
This might be due to a medical emergency as happened in this instance, or due to a mechanical failure such as a tire blowout or other situation like a car crash or severe weather.
Read Also: What Happens If You Miss Your Cruise Ship?
Booking tours through one’s cruise line ensures that if an accident occurs, the cruise ship will be notified of the incident and will make every effort to assist guests in returning to the vessel so they don’t miss their ship.
While independent tours will try to be in contact with the cruise line as well, they may not be as successful and cruise lines are under no obligation to wait for a delayed tour to return.
