Alaska Tourism Recovery Act Passes U.S. Senate

[joepeka]

One step closer to cruises resuming to Alaska without calling on a foreign port during the itinerary:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/25000-2021-alaska-cruise-season-may-be-saved-as-senate-passes-key-bill.html

[sailingships]

If we dont have to visit Victoria maybe they will add another Alaska port - Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan Only 3 of them are in the current itineraries

 

I hope Carnival has a 2021 season in Alaska after all..

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, sailingships said:

If we dont have to visit Victoria maybe they will add another Alaska port - Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan Only 3 of them are in the current itineraries

 

I hope Carnival has a 2021 season in Alaska after all..

When I did miracle to alaska the canada stop was later in the day and barely had time to walk to town, look around and get back on board. It's almost more of a technical stop then a real port.

[Linsuesue]

18 minutes ago, sailingships said:

If we dont have to visit Victoria maybe they will add another Alaska port - Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan Only 3 of them are in the current itineraries

 

I hope Carnival has a 2021 season in Alaska after all..

If they could skip Victoria and add another Alaska city, that would be an even bigger boost for Alaska’s economy. I have never been to Sitka and would love to go there. 

[mexicobob]

Pigs will fly before the government changes the law to bypass Canada for a cruise to Alaska from the US. Do not get your hopes up. 

[Bgcruising]

We will see

[SCBarker]

Am I correct in assuming this rule is in place because of the Jones Act?  If so, too bad this would only allow cruise ships to bypass the Act.

[dbrucern]

Remember it is not just stopping in Canada, Canada also said Canadian waters

[ProgRockCruiser]

21 minutes ago, dbrucern said:

Remember it is not just stopping in Canada, Canada also said Canadian waters

That would affect the sailing route, since they'd have to bypass the Strait of Georgia, not even sure it would add much time, but would mean more open water cruising vs the calmer stuff in the Strait.

[AKStafford]

4 hours ago, SCBarker said:

Am I correct in assuming this rule is in place because of the Jones Act?  If so, too bad this would only allow cruise ships to bypass the Act.

Not the Jones Act, but the Passenger Vessel Services Act. Jones Act just applies to cargo ships.

[don't-use-real-name]

4 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

That would affect the sailing route, since they'd have to bypass the Strait of Georgia, not even sure it would add much time, but would mean more open water cruising vs the calmer stuff in the Strait.

The route would be on the Pacific Ocean side of Vancouver Island -

No Canadian inside passage Strait of Georgia (think Campbell River narrows) -

While this would be in rougher waters than the Canadian inside passage there would

fewer restrictions on the speed

The inside passage USA portion is north of Ketchikan Juneau Skagway Icy Strait Point -

Sitka is approached from the Pacific Ocean

Adding in the glaciers would take a day away from a port call -

All these would be possible from Seattle

 

A different mix of ports and glaciers for cruises between Seattle and Anchorage (Seward)

7 days each direction - but any cruise here is acceptable - - -

[don't-use-real-name]

Re: SITKA

 

Is not in the inside passage with Icy Skag Jnu Ket and the glaciers

 

MAP Reference:

 

Google Maps

 

Sitka is in the middle of map image - zoom in or out for more detail

 

NCL has a limited presence visiting this port.

Best consider Holland-America Princess or Carnival

 

Also note Sitka is a tender port with one prime anchoring point for the tender -

With a second ship the tender trip is quite long reducing the port visit time

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, mexicobob said:

Pigs will fly before the government changes the law to bypass Canada for a cruise to Alaska from the US. Do not get your hopes up. 

 

An administrator friend in my school district never thought I would buy a computer after I retired.  He was one of the first two e-mails that I sent after I got the computer set up.  His response was:  '"My God!  Pigs can fly!"

 

Never say never!

Edited May 14, 2021 by rkacruiser

[haolenate]

Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500.

 

Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer.  Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞

[Northern Aurora]

6 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

Also note Sitka is a tender port with one prime anchoring point for the tender -

With a second ship the tender trip is quite long reducing the port visit time

 

 

Actually, a dock was built north of Sitka several years ago.  Shuttle buses are used to move folks from the dock to the Harrigan Centennial Hall.  I don't recall when it was built but the first time we docked there on a cruise ship was in 2013.

[don't-use-real-name]

12 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

 

 

Actually, a dock was built north of Sitka several years ago.  Shuttle buses are used to move folks from the dock to the Harrigan Centennial Hall.  I don't recall when it was built but the first time we docked there on a cruise ship was in 2013.

Thanks for the Update - last I was in Sitka was 2011 HAL Westerdam

 

Map image shows that dock (pier) at the end of Halibut Point Road  about some 2 miles

from Sitka city proper:

 

Google Maps

 

Lots of Russian Orthodox history - Sitka was the Russian Alaska capitol

[LadyMac72]

1 hour ago, haolenate said:

Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500.

 

Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer.  Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞

Tell Juneau I am coming there as fast as I can... and bringing my money!  🙂

[joepeka]

1 hour ago, haolenate said:

Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500.

 

Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer.  Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞

We were in Juneau in late summer 2019 and really liked the city. Since then, in my dreams, I even thought about a summer home there (get away from the Phoenix AZ heat) but then financial realities set in and I fell back to the desert earth. Hoping things improve for you up there as it's a wonderful area. 🙂

[Heidi13]

On 5/14/2021 at 4:59 AM, dbrucern said:

Remember it is not just stopping in Canada, Canada also said Canadian waters

 

Affirmative, Canada has banned cruise ships from operating in Canadian Waters. Even if cruise ships receive a PVSA exemption and don't have to visit a foreign port, they will also need to negotiate access to Canadian Waters.

 

The US/Canada border is down the middle of Juan de Fuca, which has an IMO approved Marine Traffic Separation Scheme. The inbound lanes are in US Waters, but the outbound lanes are mostly in Canadian Waters. Therefore, for a cruise ship to depart from Seattle they will have to receive approval to enter and transit Canadian Waters.

 

Since this Traffic Separation Scheme is IMO approved, ship must comply with Collision Regulation # 10, which requires ships to navigate in the correct lane and to avoid the separation zone and inshore zone.

[Italy52]

22 hours ago, haolenate said:

Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500.

 

Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer.  Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞

We still have one Alaska cruise on the books for the month of August.  We are keeping our fingers crossed it will happen for you all.  I know it isn't much, but we will be doing an independent trip to Juneau in June.  We will be flying in for a few days and taking a couple of our favorite excursions.  We have taken many cruises with Juneau as a port stop --- it will seem so strange to come into town without all the tourist milling around.

[diesel1973]

Will also be up in Eagle River for 7 weeks this summer. Last year when I went into Anchorage you could roll a bowling ball down the sidewalks and not hit anyone. 

So depressing!

[Heidi13]

22 hours ago, haolenate said:

Canada hasn't stopped the AMH ferries from going between Bellingham & Ketchikan, and I think their capacity is just shy of 500.

 

Everyone in Juneau is HOPING and PRAYING we get some sort of season this summer.  Its beyond dead here, and all the independent travelers/ex-cruisers *POINTING AT YA'LL* are bypassing Southeast this summer and booking land packages/tours in the interior! 😞 😞 😞

 

The Interin Order exempts passenger ferries, providing they comply with local Public Health Orders to reduce the spread of COVID. The AMS ships were treated the same as the BC Ferries.

[nini]

14 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Affirmative, Canada has banned cruise ships from operating in Canadian Waters. Even if cruise ships receive a PVSA exemption and don't have to visit a foreign port, they will also need to negotiate access to Canadian Waters.

 

The US/Canada border is down the middle of Juan de Fuca, which has an IMO approved Marine Traffic Separation Scheme. The inbound lanes are in US Waters, but the outbound lanes are mostly in Canadian Waters. Therefore, for a cruise ship to depart from Seattle they will have to receive approval to enter and transit Canadian Waters.

 

Since this Traffic Separation Scheme is IMO approved, ship must comply with Collision Regulation # 10, which requires ships to navigate in the correct lane and to avoid the separation zone and inshore zone.

I thought Canada only ruled that the ports were closed. So the waterways are closed? Bummer

[Heidi13]

11 hours ago, nini said:

I thought Canada only ruled that the ports were closed. So the waterways are closed? Bummer

 

Here is a link to the actual Interim Order. If the US approves the waiver to PVSA, it isn't a guaranteed show stopper, but another hoop for cruise lines to jump through.

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/transport-canada/news/2021/02/government-of-canada-announces-one-year-ban-for-pleasure-craft-and-cruise-vessels.html

 

[nini]

Thanks. I did not realize that about the waters too. Your water, your rules. I wonder why they are allowing the ferries?