Cruise Ship Bypasses Kodiak Due To Foul Weather

Casey Kelly/KMXT
The 857-foot Sun Princess cruise ship cancelled its port of call in Kodiak today (Tuesday) due to rough seas and high winds.

Kodiak Island Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Janet Buckingham says the ship was supposed to bring 2,000 tourists to town for the day.

(No Cruise 1 :20s “…this morning and no boat.”)

Kodiak Harbormaster Marty Owen says the weather at the time appeared to be clearing, and harbor staff was prepared to welcome the ship if she could make it in.

Bruce Bustamante is vice president of community and public affairs for Princess Tours. He says the decision not to come into Kodiak was made by the master of a pilot boat that was supposed to guide the “Sun Princess” into port.

(No Cruise 2 :09s “…on and off the ship and such.”)

Bustamante also says it’s unfortunate, not only because customers like coming to Kodiak, but also because the ship is on a re-positioning cruise to Asia, where it will sail this fall and winter, and now the passengers have a long, five-day trip ahead of them before their next stop in Russia.

(No Cruise 3 :15s “…ship through in the same situation.”)

Buckingham says these things happen.

(No Cruise 4 :15s “…and on the ship I’m sure.”)

Fortunately, Buckingham says the Sun Princess isn’t the last cruise ship scheduled to make a stop in Kodiak this summer. Three more are scheduled, including the 3,000-passenger Diamond Princess on September 21^st.

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