Free Republic

After facing a devastating year that saw no cruise vessels call on ports in Alaska and British Columbia as a result of the global COVID-19 health pandemic, cities on the itineraries that rely on tourism say that having ships return in 2021 is crucial for their survival. Andrew Cremata, borough mayor for the popular Alaskan cruise port of Skagway, Alaska, remarked on the current situation faced by his town, and numerous other port of call in Southeast Alaska, during a panel discussion at the Virtual Seatrade conference Wednesday morning. "This is about survival for Skagway," said Cremata, who said that...

A new director of customs in Skagway, Alaska, is creating confusion for Yukon boat owners with new registration and reporting rules that don't seem to be written anywhere. The rules affect about 250 Yukoners who have bought and registered boats in Alaska and moor them in Skagway. “We're ready to go,” said Yukon boater Bob Cameron. “We all want to go, but what do we do? We're a little bit scared to untie our boats." That's because if the boater is Canadian, Skagway's director of Customs and Border Services is requiring them to report where they’re going. They must also...