TOURISM
Passenger Port Expansions
Improving tourist experience, easing local congestion
By Vanessa Orr
MRV Architects
T

wo years after the pandemic began, tourism is slowly beginning to get back on track. Major cruise lines scheduled 78 voyages with nine ships in 2021, a decrease from more than 500 voyages in 2019 but an improvement over 2020’s zero. Thanks to Congressional action allowing cruises to Alaska to bypass Canadian ports, bookings opened in June. In case passengers feel hesitant boarding a ship amid the simmering pandemic, ports of call are going out of their way to make them feel welcome. Juneau’s well-developed waterfront is hardly finished adding cruise ship amenities, and as cruises returned this summer, August saw new expansions in Ketchikan, Sitka, and Hoonah.

The first cruise ship arrived at the new two-berth Mill at Ward Cove, which is located seven miles north of Ketchikan. Built on the site of the former Ketchikan Pulp Mill, which closed in 1997, construction is ongoing, as the project was slowed by the pandemic.

The $50 million renovation, which includes a welcome center and passenger transport facility, is being developed by the Ward Cove Group, which partnered with Fairbanks-based tourism operator Godspeed, Inc. Norwegian Cruises Line also invested in the dock project in exchange for priority use of its berths.

After Phase I, which includes refurbishing the Ketchikan Pulp Mill—featuring a re-creation of the Tongass National Forest inside—Phases II and III will include more retail, food, tourism, and entertainment opportunities.

Sitka
August saw completion of the first phase of the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal Dock, which not only provides more tourist amenities but enables larger ships to dock at the berth. The dock’s majority owner is Halibut Point Marine Services, a Sitka family-owned business, with financing support and minority ownership by Royal Caribbean Group and Ceres Terminals (a Nashville-based port management firm).

“Previously, we were able to dock one ship up to 980 feet—the old Panamax size—as well as one smaller ship up to 600 feet on a double-sided berth,” explains Chris McGraw, owner and manager of Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal. “We extended the pier so that we can now accommodate two of the neo-Panamax ships, which are approximately 1,150 feet, one on each side.”

In conjunction with the dock extension, upland development included the expansion of passenger facilities. “We previously had an 8,000-square-foot passenger terminal where we would stage shuttles into downtown Sitka,” says McGraw. “We have since constructed 30,000 more square feet of space in multiple buildings, which includes retail space, food and beverage options, and tour and passenger staging areas.”

These expanded berthing facilities will allow more passengers to come into Sitka, as well as larger ships.

“In 2019, our passenger count was 200,000 guests, and we anticipate seeing 470,000 passengers next year—roughly 430,000 who will come through the new dock facility,” says McGraw. “These are passengers on vessels who were not previously able to dock here, for example, the Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas and the Norwegian Bliss.

“With this increased guest capacity, it’s important that we provide things for guests to do once they’re in Sitka,” he adds. “Our previous facility was maxed out at 3,000 passengers a day, and now we’ll be able to accommodate 9,000 passengers per day. So we’ve designed this new area to ensure the smooth flow of guests getting on shuttles and going on tours, and we’ve expanded retail and food and beverage offerings right here at the port.”

A rendering of one iteration of the Long Range Marina District Plan for the City and Borough of Juneau includes a new Norwegian Cruise Line dock that would be shared with the US Coast Guard, as well as a new dock for small craft.

MRV Architects

A rendering of one iteration of the Long Range Marina District Plan for the City and Borough of Juneau includes a new Norwegian Cruise Line dock that would be shared with the US Coast Guard, as well as a new dock for small craft.

MRV Architects

A rendering of one iteration of the Long Range Marina District Plan for the City and Borough of Juneau includes a new Norwegian Cruise Line dock that would be shared with the US Coast Guard, as well as a new dock for small craft
Construction on the project began in 2019, and unlike most projects, it was not adversely affected by COVID-19. “It actually made it a little easier not having ships here last year; we didn’t have to work around guests,” says McGraw. “It did make construction more nerve-wracking from a development standpoint, however, especially since we had no clear picture of what the future would hold.”

Phase II, still in the conceptual stage, will focus on additional uplands development, which may include on-site attractions such as an amphitheater for shows and demonstrations.

Adventure Sitka, which is owned by Halibut Point Marine Services and Latitude 49, which is affiliated with Alaska Coach Tours, is also working on the development of a 17-acre parcel adjacent to the dock facility, where they will offer tour products including shore excursions for cruise ship passengers.

“We’re working with Shee Atika [Sitka’s urban Native corporation] to build structures for cultural tours, as well as building trails, an aerial adventure park, and a ropes challenge park,” says McGraw. “With 9,000 passengers coming into town in a day, we want to disperse them through the entire Sitka area so that everybody is not in one spot at one time.”

He adds that two new tour products will be added next season, followed by one or two the year after. The City and Borough of Sitka is also in the process of developing a short-term tourism master plan to facilitate the growth of the area from a traffic and congestion standpoint. “Our goal is to minimize the impact on local Sitkans, while providing a pleasurable visitor experience,” says McGraw.

Hoonah
Also in August, a ribbon cutting was held to celebrate the opening of the Wilderness Landing pier at Icy Strait Point, which was built in partnership between Norwegian Cruise Line’s parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Huna Totem Corporation. The pier is located about 2 miles from the Native community of Hoonah.

Even though the community already had an impressive port—Icy Strait Point’s Adventure Landing was chosen as the 2020 Port of the Year in the Seatrade Cruise Awards—Wilderness Landing offers even more amenities to customers who travel on Norwegian cruises. Guests can travel on a new high-speed Transporter Gondola between the two ports through the surrounding rainforest or choose to walk the approximately 1-mile trail. The aerial tramway with thirty-three suspended cabins creates an entirely vehicle-free zone, eliminating the need for about 100 buses, with the capacity to transport up to 5,600 guests per hour.

While at Adventure Landing, visitors can tour the now fully restored historic Hoonah Packing Company Cannery Village and enjoy traditional dining in the restored original cannery cookhouse. They can also watch Native dance and other performances at the new Heritage Center Theater, which showcases Tlingit history and culture.

The gondola ride, which lasts about three minutes, is complimentary for those purchasing shore excursions, including rides on Icy Strait Point’s Ziprider, the longest in the world at 5,330 feet with 1,330 feet of elevation. A second high-speed transport, the Mountain Top Gondola, which opened in October, takes passengers to the top of Hoonah Mountain, saving them a long bus ride to get to the Ziprider.

“Our investment in Icy Strait Point is providing our guests with more opportunities to experience and understand the natural and cultural beauty of the destination and its people,” says Harry Sommer, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line.

“Since Icy Strait Point’s inception, we’ve strived to balance the needs of our Alaska Native community with those of Alaska’s growing cruise industry and this development was a natural step for us,” adds Russell Dick, CEO of Huna Totem Corporation. “We are grateful to Norwegian for believing in our vision and we hope our sustainable model can lead the way for positive expansion of the cruise visitor industry in Alaska.”

The transporter gondola links the Wilderness Landing pier and the Adventure Landing pier at Icy Strait Point.

Norwegian Cruise Line

The transporter gondola links the Wilderness Landing pier and the Adventure Landing pier at Icy Strait Point.
The transporter gondola links the Wilderness Landing pier and the Adventure Landing pier at Icy Strait Point.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Juneau
Not to be left out, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) is also looking at the idea of expanding its port area to take advantage of more tourism opportunities, though there is not a fixed timeline for construction. Norwegian has proposed building a new dock perpendicular to shore as well as a multistory building with bus parking underneath on a three-acre parcel of waterfront land in downtown Juneau.

“The CBJ recently completed a study focusing on the community’s perception of tourism and growth and how that balances with quality of life, right before COVID clamped everything down,” says Paul Voelckers, president of MRV Architects. “They are now doing a specific tourism survey talking to Juneau residents online and through random phone calls to determine public perception on allowing a new dock.”

If the majority supports amending the city’s waterfront plan to allow a new dock, as expected, work would begin immediately to update the plan to present to the public and the assembly. “That in turn would set up an analysis of Norwegian’s application for the deep water lease they need to build the dock,” Voelckers explains.

If the lease is supported, a “finer-grained” look will be taken at proposed upland features, which include public park space, a sea walk, and other developments. The plan may also include the creation of an Ocean Center that would serve as a hybrid visitor center, museum, and educational facility.

“Right now, the preliminary design places the [Alaska] Ocean Center on a premium corner of the site, taking up about 20 percent of the total Norwegian footprint,” says Voelckers. “The [nonprofit] center has been around as a hypothetical project for about five years now, and Norwegian thought it would make an irresistible waterfront destination, so they invited the 501(c)(3) to be part of the early design.”

According to Voelckers, this section of Juneau’s waterfront has not been developed in the past thirty years because of the uncertainty of what would happen to the three-acre property that was owned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority.

“Norwegian’s $20 million purchase of the Mental Health Trust property provided some fundamental clarity, and now there are a number of ideas of what can happen on either side of that site,” says Voelckers, whose firm is working with the city on sketches, including an extension of public park space or the sea walk. Norwegian hopes to partner with the US Coast Guard, which owns the property immediately adjacent to their parcel, to build a dock that both the USCG and the cruise ship company could share.

“While determining a budget is still a ways away, speaking in generalities, building a dock of this scale is a roughly $40 million-plus project,” says Voelckers, adding that the upland development would cost tens of millions of dollars as well.

Even if everything goes as planned, Juneau would probably not see a finished dock for at least two years, though uplands development could proceed more quickly.

“Docks require a lot of permitting and regulatory approval, and the studies alone take months,” says Voelckers. “A general rule of thumb is that it takes a year to get federal permits in place for working in a marine setting. So you’re looking at a year, at least, of permitting, design, and testing, and then a relatively short four- to six-month construction period.”

Norwegian Encore is the first ship in the industry to berth at the new Wilderness Landing pier at Icy Strait Point.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Encore is the first ship in the industry to berth at the new Wilderness Landing pier at Icy Strait Point.
Norwegian Encore is the first ship in the industry to berth at the new Wilderness Landing pier at Icy Strait Point.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Harry Sommer and Huna Totem Corporation CEO Russell Dick at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Wilderness Landing Pier.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Harry Sommer and Huna Totem Corporation CEO Russell Dick at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Wilderness Landing Pier.
Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Harry Sommer and Huna Totem Corporation CEO Russell Dick at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new Wilderness Landing Pier.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Sitka anticipates the arrival of 470,000 passengers next year, up from 200,000 in 2019. These are guests on vessels that were not previously able to dock at the cruise ship terminal, for example, the Norwegian Bliss and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas.

Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal

Sitka anticipates the arrival of 470,000 passengers next year, up from 200,000 in 2019. These are guests on vessels that were not previously able to dock at the cruise ship terminal, for example, the Norwegian Bliss and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas.

Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal

 Sitka anticipates the arrival of 470,000 passengers next year, up from 200,000 in 2019. These are guests on vessels that were not previously able to dock at the cruise ship terminal, for example, the Norwegian Bliss and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas
On the Horizon
Though a major undertaking, an expansion of Juneau’s passenger port is expected to make a meaningful difference to the tourism industry in the capital city.

“Even though Norwegian is a huge multinational, it was relatively late to the Alaska market, and there’s a hierarchy of access to the docks,” says Voelckers. “Currently, the company needs to hot berth, which means taking ships in and out the same day. They also dock furthest from downtown, which can create vehicular and pedestrian congestion and result in logistical delays.

“What both the public and the tourism industry like about Norwegian’s proposal is that the area they want to develop is in the least impacted part of town with the best road infrastructure already there,” he adds. “This would make it much easier to handle the necessary infrastructure and tourism burden that comes with passengers taking tours. People would arrive at their destinations faster, it would be a smoother operation, and locals would get less jammed up from the impact on the downtown core. It would be a substantial improvement.”

He adds that, like any tourism project, building a new port is all about striking the correct balance.

“Juneau’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, but at the same time, its residents are focused on the quality of life and the enjoyment of living in such a remarkably beautiful place,” he says. “It’s a critical balancing act, finding that sweet spot of accommodating tourism without diluting the local experience.”