Dozens of cruise guests who were hoping for a pleasant day in Ketchikan, Alaska, did not get the experience they were hoping for.
On June 26, 2025, a school bus carrying 46 cruise passengers was involved in a serious collision with an SUV while driving on the Tongass Highway, causing the highway to close for around half an hour.
The crash occurred just after 9 a.m. local time, presumably while the passengers were on their way to a shore excursion that they never reached.
“The bus was traveling southbound when it collided with an SUV, which then struck a power pole,” the City of Ketchikan said in a press release.
Images from the crash show that the SUV came to rest against the pole with its hood smashed, while the school bus was run off the main road and into a ditch.
It’s unclear what caused the accident or which driver may be at fault, but an investigation is currently underway.
First responders hurried to the scene of the accident to assess the two drivers and the dozens of cruisers.
While ideally there would be no injuries at all, only two cruise guests and the driver of the SUV needed to be transferred to the hospital when it could have been much worse. No fatalities have been reported.
After being checked out by EMTs and paramedics, the cruise guests who were given a clean bill of health were transported back to their cruise ship by a new bus.
“The school bus was carrying 46 cruise passengers and a single driver when the accident occurred. The passengers and drivers were examined by EMTs and paramedics from the responding fire departments,” the city statement said.
“After being examined and cleared medically, 44 cruise passengers were transported back to their ship at Ward Cove via bus,” it continued.
It’s not clear which ship the cruisers were passengers from, as the Ketchikan Cruise Port was at capacity.
Per cruise tracking data, Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss, and Holland America Line’s Eurodam all arrived in the port early that morning.
Sapphire Princess and Koningsdam also were present, but did not sail into the port until after the accident had already occurred.
Is History Repeating Itself?
Almost a year ago, there was another major tour bus accident that took place in Skagway, Alaska, on September 6, 2024.
In this case, a tour bus carrying 24 cruise guests overturned while driving on the South Klondike Highway after the driver suffered from a sudden medical emergency.
As the accident occurred in a remote area around 35 miles outside of Skagway, rescue was made more difficult by the distance and because cell service is virtually non-existent.
In fact, two other tour buses actually arrived at the scene and rendered aid before first responders could get there.
When all was said and done, a total of 12 passengers were injured and were transported to local hospitals for appropriate treatment. The driver also received care and was expected to recover.
Read Also: From Mishaps to Maydays – Cruise Ship Accidents
If you’re thinking about booking a cruise ship tour, don’t let these accidents scare you.
When you consider the fact that hundreds to thousands of tours take place every year without a hitch, it’s easy to see that accidents like these are quite rare.
In the unlikely event that an accident does occur, booking your excursion through the cruise line does come with some extra protections.
Most notably, the cruise lines will do everything in their power to wait for delayed passengers who are participating in one of their tours, while late comers from independent tours may be left behind.
If an emergency takes place on a tour sold by the cruise company, there is no doubt that the cruise line will be immediately notified and that every effort will be made to assist guests in the aftermath.
But more likely than not, your cruise tour will run normally and you’ll return to the port with a new appreciation for the destination you just explored.
