"Through my reporting and series Tongass Voices and Lingít Word of the Week, I tell stories about people who have shaped -- and continue to shape -- the landscape of this place we live."
In this newscast:
In this newscast:
As tourist season ramps up in Southeast Alaska, so may human-whale encounters,
A bill recognizing Alaska’s 229 Tribes faces one last committee before being voted on the Senate floor,
Senator Lisa Murkowski says her confidence in the Supreme Court will be shaken if Roe v. Wade is overturned
In this newscast:
After two summers of little to no business, Juneau’s tourist shops, tour operators and other local businesses are eager for visitors. A crowd gathered on Monday afternoon to greet the Norwegian Bliss — the first large cruise ship to dock in Alaska in 2022.
It was a typical Juneau spring day — rainy and chilly — as throngs of passengers disembarked and made for nearby tourism shuttles.
Laura McDonnell was among those gathered at the dock to meet them. She owns Caribou Crossings, a shop that’s been in Juneau for 25 years. It’s staffed by locals and sells art from 60 Alaskan artists.
“If it’s 10 people we’re excited. If it’s 3,000 people we’re super excited,” McDonnell said. “Just to see happy people on the streets again and visitors getting to come enjoy my hometown is the best.”
The larger number was closer. The Bliss had around 2,000 passengers on board or 50% of the ship’s capacity.
Juneau’s Mayor Beth Weldon was there, too, greeting passengers as they got off the ship. She says the first ship of the season is symbolic.
“It means ‘welcome back, Juneau!’ It means our economy should be springing up from here. And we’re pretty excited about that,” she said.
Acting City Manager Robert Barr said he has faith in the COVID-19 port agreements Juneau made with cruise lines, like the requirement that 95% of passengers would be vaccinated.
“Those were successful last season,” he said, noting that last year’s season was an abbreviated one — only 10% of the usual number of cruise ship visitors came to Juneau.
“So we’re often cautiously optimistic, I think is how I would put it, that we’ll see similar sorts of success this season. But undoubtedly, there will be work to do,” he said.
By dinnertime, the Red Dog Saloon — an iconic bar for locals and tourists alike — had been transformed for the season. The floor was covered with sawdust, and the servers were wearing gold-rush era costumes. The women were in red satin dresses, and the men had those garters on their sleeves.
“Yes, we have what we call our summer outfit on,” said Eric Forst, one of the bar’s owners.
He’s also cautiously optimistic about what the first day might mean for the rest of the summer.
“It’s day one. That’s only one cruise line. Each cruise line is going to handle things differently. So I’ll feel a little more comfortable after a couple of weeks,” Forst said.
But he’s still hoping locals will come in and keep business going, on those rare summer nights when there’s no cruise ship in port.
The first large cruise ship of the 2022 season arrives in Juneau on Monday afternoon. The Norwegian Bliss, which can accommodate 4,000 passengers, docks at 1:30 p.m. However, it’s unknown how many people will actually be on board. Predictions range from as low as 30% to 75% occupancy.
Some of Juneau’s elected officials will be on the docks to meet disembarking tourists.
This year is forecast to be the busiest cruise season since before the pandemic, but the exact numbers of passengers are still unclear. The busiest days, according to the city, will be Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Locals can expect to find tour groups at the Mendenhall Glacier, on the water near Auke Bay and on popular hiking trails around town.
All large cruise ships in Alaska are bound to port agreements with the communities where they dock. The COVID measures agreed upon include a 95% vaccination rate for passengers and crew and plans for dealing with sick passengers on board.
A rally in support of more environmental regulation of the cruise industry planned is also planned for Monday at the Capitol. Local groups aim to draw attention to the lack of environmental oversight in the cruise industry.
The next regular Juneau Assembly meeting is Monday at 7 p.m. Major budget items for the upcoming fiscal year will be on the table for discussion and the public is invited to offer feedback.
Items up for comment include the proposed property tax rate increase, the city’s operating budget, the school district’s budget and the capital improvement program.
Members of the public can comment in person, via a sign-up sheet or on Zoom. To testify remotely, you have to call the Municipal Clerk’s Office at 907-586-5278 and give advance notice by 4 p.m. on Monday. Residents can also email comments to BoroughAssembly@juneau.org.
Video of the meeting will be streamed on Zoom and CBJ’s YouTube channel. The meeting will also be broadcast live on KTOO.
There will be two more opportunities for the public to comment on the city’s budget, and the next two assembly meetings, before it’s finalized.
