On Friday morning KHNS’ Mike Swasey talked with Skagway Mayor Andrew Cremata about the bill that unanimously passed through the US Senate on Thursday, co-sponsored by US senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan. That bill seeks to temporarily bypass the Passenger Vessel Services Act. The PVSA prohibits foreign flagged ships from carrying American citizens on a domestic voyage without a stop at a foreign port. That’s why international cruise ships visiting Alaska stop in British Columbia.
KHNS: What does this mean for Skagway?
Cremata: Well, it puts us a lot closer to a reality of having cruise ships come late July, early August. I still think there are some other hoops that need to be jumped through, not the least of which is the House vote although I don’t foresee that as being a problem. But I know that they are starting to crew vessels. And we could see anywhere from you know, six to seven ships a week, late July, early August. if things work out. How many people are on those boats? What boats are they? That remains to be seen. I’m making some phone calls today to try and find out but it’s looking a lot better than it looked a few days ago.
KHNS: Are the cruise ships requiring all passengers to be vaccinated before boarding.
Cremata: So far, Norwegian Cruise Lines definitely is. But I would expect announcements from Carnival probably in the next few days that they are going to require them. Because if they don’t require them, there’s a whole ‘nother series of hoops they have to jump through. And when I work out the math on the timeline, it doesn’t work out. So in my opinion for whatever that’s worth, they’re going to have to go to a vaccination policy to be able to get to Alaska this summer.
KHNS: The CDC, right at the same time has released new guidelines about masks. And if you’re vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask. What does that mean for the community and the Tourism Best Management Practices?
Cremata: One of the key things that means is that there’s no reason to force cruise passengers to operate within a bubble. Which means when the cruise ships come to town, the passengers should be able to move freely around town, go to whatever business they like, go on whatever tour they like. So I think that’s actually even a more important announcement that we heard over the last couple of days that the CDC is not going to require bubbles.
KHNS: So if you’re vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask. You can be within six feet of other people, and most likely, you’re going to be just fine. Ninety-some percent likelihood you’re going to be okay.
Cremata: So yeah, we get some kind of return to normalcy now. Like I say, you know, we should temper our enthusiasm a little bit. But, you know, we went from having almost no chance of seeing cruise ships to having a pretty good chance of at least seeing some cruise ships now. So it’s great news, especially for year-round businesses.
KHNS: What about mask mandates inside municipal buildings is with this new guidance from the CDC, does that mean that we won’t be required to mask at city hall? Will you be lifting the emergency declaration?
Cremata: Well, you know, I mentioned at the last assembly meeting that I thought it was something that we should review. So we’ve been communicating with the clinic, and you know, with other entities, both locally and around the state. And you know, me personally, as mayor, I would like to see us take a really hard look at the emergency declaration, and perhaps in the next couple of cycles so that I do believe it’s time to rescind it. But it’s not my decision to make it’s a decision the assembly needs to make.
KHNS: Okay. All right. So chances look good. The cruise ships are coming in late July, early August, we might have up to six ships a week. But how long is it going to take the [U.S. House of Representatives] to get through and pass something if they do?
Cremata: I’ve been told that that process should happen, “very soon.” So you can take that the same way I did, which is, it’s vague. But very soon, in my opinion, would be by the end of next week.
KHNS: When do businesses start gearing up for this, or leveling up? If they think that that’s going to be a thing I guess they start immediately, but how certain are we that these things are going to happen that these cruise ships are going to come to town?
Cremata: This is why I say temper your enthusiasm because this is not a done deal. There still are hoops that need to be jumped through. There are still some questions. However, it’s looking a lot better than it did. I think that we have to know something by the end of the month, because either the cruises are going to come here or they have to consider gearing up to go elsewhere. Because they’re quickly approaching the deadline. You know, if the target date is late July, early August. It makes sense to come up here. If the target date is the end of August, it no longer makes sense to come up here.
KHNS: Your advice to business is you can start thinking about how to scale up but don’t scale up until we have final word.
Cremata: Exactly.