Blount Small Ship Adventures has become the first US cruise line to cease operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cruise line, which specialises in coastal and inland voyages on the Great Lakes, has cancelled all sailings onboard it’s three ships and will be selling off the vessels. Instead the company will focus on its boat-building business.
“It was really just the requirement that all the cruise lines had to shut down for COVID, and at this point we decided not to start again,” Blount Boats president and CFO Marcia Blount told WorkBoat. “What we really decided was to focus on building.”
The line operated the Grand Mariner, Grand Caribe and Niagara Prince, all carrying fewer than 100 guests. The unique ships were able to cruise routes not usually accessible by other ships, such as the Erie Canal and Champlain Canal.