KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Cruise ship season starts next week in Kodiak, and this year will bring a relatively big crowd to the island. Aimee (AIM-ee) Williams, Executive Director at Discover Kodiak, says 30 ships are scheduled to dock in Kodiak between May 7 and September 20, up from just 19 ships last year. That’s as many as 29,000 visitors total over the course of this season. Last year brought approximately 22,000.
None of the ships are scheduled to stay overnight. But in a city of 6,000 people it’s evident when a cruise ship has docked, bringing hundreds — if not thousands — of new people to town. “You can definitely tell when there’s a ship here,” Williams says. “There are shuttles that run from pier 2 into town and they drop them off at the visitor’s center, so you see a lot of people walking around the actual downtown area and the harbor area.”
The city doesn’t collect a head tax from cruise lines the way cities like Juneau do, but Williams says that having tens of thousands of visitors every year plays a big role in keeping the local economy going.
“I think if you talk to business owners downtown, they would tell you that those days are the days that keep them afloat,” she says.
The city of Kodiak has planned a few measures to make sure the town can accommodate the large influx of visitors. City Manager Mike Tvenge confirmed that there will be additional police presence on cruise ship days, to help out with answering questions as well as security downtown. Additionally, he says, “we’ve got our banners out now which is ready for summer, and then our flower baskets will be hanging as soon as they are all ready. We’ll be ready for the season.”
Holland America’s Westerdam will be the first to arrive next Tuesday. It’s one of the largest ships on this season’s roster, carrying up to 1916 guests and approximately 800 crew members, according to the cruise line.
