Royal Caribbean International’s Ovation of the Seas (Claire Stremple)
Last year Holland America announced that it would be canceling most of its cruise ship sailings to Haines. Many businesses relied on the cruise line to bring large numbers of visitors to the community. Royal Carribean ships have not made regular visits to Haines since the ‘90s, but now the borough is looking at them as a potential replacement.
Haines Borough Tourism Director Steven Auch gave an update to the assembly about the local cruise industry at a meeting Tuesday. He started by addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Auch said that travel restrictions have suspended cruises to Alaska for the time being, but when they resume there will be many changes to how the industry operates.
“Exactly what changes will be required, we have yet to know for sure, but I will continue to monitor them. Just as businesses are required to have plans to send critical workers into the community, we will ensure that when cruising is allowed to resume it will be with community safety as priority number one.”
Auch said some smaller cruise lines are scheduled to visit Haines as early as June, but whether that will be possible is still up in the air.
The main focus of Auch’s presentation was an update on meetings that he and the mayor had with cruise line executives in Florida earlier this year.
He was particularly optimistic about the possibility of Royal Carribean making trips to Haines in the future.
“In 2021 the cruise ship schedule has been released showing Royal Carribean making 11 calls to Haines. They want to see more ships here in the future and not just when Skagway is full. They want to be the largest cruise line bringing guests to Haines and they want to do it on our terms,” Auch said.
Haines has had a rocky relationship with Royal Caribbean in the past.
In 1999, the cruise line pleaded guilty to environmental crimes in Alaska when it “routinely” pumped dry-cleaning and photo-processing chemicals into coastal waters between Haines and Skagway.
After that the cruise line made no trips to Haines for 15 years.
But Auch said that Royal Carribean has demonstrated that they want to support the community. He said the cruise line announced Tuesday that it will make a $15,000 donation to the local Salvation Army food bank.
He encouraged the assembly to draft a resolution of support for Royal Carribean to increase visits to Haines in the future.
“Because it will let them know that we want their business and allows us to move forward with discussions regarding a possible partnership,” Auch said. “A preferential berthing agreement has been brought up during our conversations and I would like to move forward in having those conversations with them.”
Auch said Holland America still plans to make some calls in Haines in 2021. However, the cruise line plans to make 11 calls fewer than they have in recent summers.
Correction: This story has been updated with the correct spelling of Steven Auch’s name.
