By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka’s cruise ship calendar is starting to fill up, with Royal Caribbean line announcing Friday it’s advertising cruises that will stop in Sitka this summer, with the 2,490-passenger Serenade of the Seas scheduled to make its first port call July 21.
Previously, Holland America Line announced the 2,100-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam would make a number of stops here.
Chris McGraw, manager of Sitka Cruise Terminal, said Royal Caribbean is listing 10 visits altogether by Serenade of the Seas, and possibly five calls by the company’s 4,000-passenger “neopanamax” ship Ovation of the Seas, starting August 17.
The situation has been unfolding quickly after both the U.S. House and Senate last week approved legislation sponsored by Alaska’s Congressional delegation giving the cruise lines temporary authority to make trips to Alaska without the usual requirement of an intermediate stop in a foreign port, usually Canada. Canada has closed its ports to visiting ships as a COVID precaution.
(See related story on Page 3.)
McGraw, city officials and many Sitka businesses were surprised and delighted that cruise visitors would be coming to Sitka this summer.
“We’ve got two months,” McGraw said. “Obviously, we’re having to prioritize certain aspects of our project. It’s accelerating what our typical preparation would be for a cruise ship season ... I was convinced there would be no ships, so I did nothing to prepare.”
Details related to the 2021 season are still being worked out, including a multi-port agreement among Southeast communities, Sitka Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz said.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to potentially see cruise visitors again this summer,” he said. “We’re working closely with other Southeast communities to come up with a multiport agreement which has a set of protocols and plans of action in case of a (COVID) outbreak during a cruise. We want to make sure the safety of residents is number one while these cruise ships are allowed to return to service.”
The proposed Assembly resolution refers to Centers for Disease Control vaccination requirements, which state that 98 percent of crew and 95 percent of the passengers must be fully vaccinated prior to sailing.
The cruise companies are listing their own COVID mitigation plans on their websites.
McGraw said Sitka will have some busy days this summer, with the current schedule showing four days with two large cruise ships in port at the same time.
“Based on capacity, that could be around 5,500 people (on the same day),” he said.
There will be a resolution on Tuesday’s Assembly agenda to authorize City Administrator John Leach to enter into port agreements with cruise line corporations “for the purpose of satisfying requirements of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to allow cruise ships to visit the Port of Sitka in calendar year 2021.”
The “therefore be it resolved” section states that the administrator may enter into multi-port or individual agreements provided that the following conditions are met:
– Cruise ship operators agree to provide ship schedules to the Municipal Administrator for approval.
– Cruise ship operators must agree to meet current CDC vaccination standards for ships that have a scheduled stop in the Port of Sitka.
– Other conditions that are necessary for the protection of the public health of Sitka’s citizens and visitors as determined by the Assembly or the city Emergency Operations Center.
The city has been working with other Southeast communities on a multi-port agreement for cruise ship stops. McGraw said he’s been part of the discussions since last week.
The city resolution takes note of the May 12 CDC supplement to the cruise ship precautions which says cruise ship operators, at their discretion, may advise passengers and crew that – if they are fully vaccinated – they may engage in self-guided or independent exploration during port stops, if they wear a mask while indoors.
McGraw said today the main challenge will be arranging shuttles between town and the dock. He expects the operators of local tours will be facing similar challenges.
