While some ports are curbing cruise tourism, others are eager for more.
Russell Dick, CEO of the Huna Totem Corp., said that when he hears the industry saying it may reduce service or pull ships from Alaska due to community pushback, “I’m going, that’s not OK, because that’s not the way everybody in southeast Alaska feels.”
Huna Totem began developing port facilities 20 years ago with the opening of the 32,000-acre Icy Strait Point, an Inside Passage port that replaces cityscape with wilderness and offers tours such as a wildlife and bear search and a milelong zipline.
Other Huna Totem ports of call have recently opened, including a double-berth pier and terminal building in Whittier developed in partnership with Norwegian that was scheduled to open on Sept. 11. Port Klawock, a tender port in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area northwest of Ketchikan, opened this summer. It can accommodate mostly smaller, luxury ships but is expected to be expanded over the years.
Port Klawock, a tender port in the Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area northwest of Ketchikan. (Courtesy of Doyon Ltd.)
Port Klawock, a tender port in the Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area northwest of Ketchikan. (Courtesy of Doyon Ltd.)
“We just need to do a better job of convincing the cruise lines that people come to Alaska not only to see Juneau,” Dick said. “Juneau doesn’t necessarily have to be on an itinerary, right? You can get the same value by going to other ports.”
Robert Morgenstern, Carnival Corp.’s senior vice president of Alaska operations, who began his tourism career as an Alaska guide, said the company can work with the caps in Juneau, as some days have room for more passengers, giving the company wiggle room for growth.
But, he said, “At some point people are going to have to figure out alternatives to Juneau. That’s just basic math.” And those alternatives need to be attractive places people want to go with activities they want to do, he said.
Morgenstern said he expects caps to lead the industry to develop longer Alaska itineraries, something Carnival brands have had success with, especially among passengers returning to Alaska and wanting to visit places they hadn’t seen the first time.
On the Record: A Q&A with Carnival Corp.’s vice president of Alaska operations, Robert Morgenstern
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Meanwhile, Carnival is looking for alternative ports, saying many communities would be happy for the economic impact cruises bring.
“The reality in a lot of these Alaska communities is there’s not a lot of economic good news,” he said. “Timber is long dead, fishing is struggling and under pressure, and tourism is a bright spot.”
The port city of Prince Rupert, in British Columbia’s Inside Passage, is working on developing more shore excursions to support off-ship experiences, Morgenstern said.
Another place on Carnival’s radar is Wrangell, a port between Juneau and Ketchikan that has hosted some Holland America and Princess calls.
Tourism leaders in South Central Alaska also say they can handle more cruise traffic. Cross-gulf cruise passenger volume has grown about 15% over 2019, to about 450,000 cruise passengers.
Julie Saupe, CEO of Visit Anchorage, said the region and Anchorage are large enough that they don’t feel the impact of high-traffic cruise days quite like a small community would. That’s in part because guests are dispersed between two ports, Whittier and Seward, and because travelers typically head to and from the ships via airports or pre- and post-visits across a large area.
It’s possible lines will offer more cross-gulf itineraries if anti-cruise sentiment pervades in communities along southeast Alaska, Saupe said. But she doesn’t see those long-term decisions happening yet, noting that a lot of southeast Alaska residents are still very supportive of the cruise industry.
“It’s controversial down there right now,” she said, “but I think that’s because there are people with strong opinions on both sides of the issue, and that’s why it’s been hard to come to a consensus.”
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Publish date : 2024-09-18 17:01:00
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