I see at least part of this problem as our community not changing to benefit from the cruise ship tourist and instead expecting them to take us as we are. When I hear a business owner complain about the cruise ship people not buying much in their store I often ask the owner, well did you ask them what they were looking for? Like it or not if you don’t stock what they want they aren’t going to buy it. If they want trinkets, sell them. If they want American change instead of Canadian? Keep some around a couple of days a week. Hell… maybe some entrepreneur might even get creative and offer a place for Americans to exchange their money back to US currency. What I hear is a lot of complaining instead of seeing the problems as opportunities.
As for tourists being jerks… well that’s universally true of all tourists that travel in groups. It’s inevitable that some are going to be rude or insensitive. It has nothing to do with them being American. I’ve seen plenty of Canadian tourists act the same way.
couple of things i need to say. this idea the americans are all rude assholes, that is a false statement if i have ever heard one. they are just people plain and simple, some are rude sure, just like us, but the overwhelming majority of them are really nice. i have lived here all my life and must have met thousands of tourists from the states over the years, and they were almost all really polite and friendly, i cant recall having even one be rude to me, maybe ive just been lucky.
i have a little puppy these days so i have been out walking a couple times a day the last few months. i like to go through all the walking trails because there are spots you can let the dog off its leash and have some freedom running through the woods, mine loves it and i meet lots of other pet owners doing the same thing. lately i have run into lots of tourists with their paper map of the city exploring our hiking trails, they usually ask for directions or comment on how beautiful our city is, how it must be so nice to have all this green surrounding us. i tell them that it is. i have found them to be really nice, ive never been spoken to in a rude fashion ever by any of them, i think the idea they are all arrogant jerks is unfounded. i met an older couple last night from florida, they said they have been everywhere in north america, and that they thought b.c., and especially prince rupert was the nicest place anywhere they have been, that the people here were exceptionally nice.
i have been thinking it would be nice to organize a walking tour of the city’s trails but it sounds like there is alot of “red tape bullshit” involved, i would have to have insurance i guess too? i think they would really like that, as i said i run into alot of them in the trails just wanting to take pictures, i thought they might not minding paying lets say ten bucks a head to have someone take them on a hour or two hike, they can see the eagles and deer, sometimes maybe even a wolf. what do you guys all think of that, is it a dumb idea? ohh one last thing, i hate the yanks government like the rest, but we cant hate their citizens for it, most of them hate their government too and dont agree with what they are doing. i get the feeling the hatred for the american governments foreign policies is seeping down into hatred for its citizens.
Yes Chris}, I think your idea of walking tours is a great one but unfortunately, I am sure there would have to be either some kind of liability insurance coverage necessary or the hikers would need to sign some sort of waiver…I think $10. bucks is great also and if we could find that money that was allocated to the Rushbrook Trail and have that cleaned up, we could offer a small picnic lunch or something along that line included in the price. There are some beautiful areas along Rushbrook and with a bit of elbow grease and some TLC, it would definitely be well worth the energy. I, for one, would be more than happy to lend a hand as I am sure a few of my friends. Maybe?, keep it in mind for next cruise ship season and research the pros and cons. I think Bob on the Rocks at Rushbrook is one fella who would know what the clientele in that area are looking to do for their time here aside from charters. Honestly, keep me in mind, I would be more than willing to help with Rushbrook anyway, as I walk there all the time Maybe $5. of the $10. could revert back into some kind of maintenance fund for the trail, just a thought?
There are some shore excursions set up for cruise ship passengers, and they are booked directly from the ship… they can also be booked when you pay your fare for your tickets, and some even last minute as they get off the ship.
Click http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/shorexLanding.html click on Alaska as your destination, and Prince Rupert as your port of call. You will see 19 different shore excursions including city tours, cannery and museum tours, marine discovery cruises, grizzly bear tours, Pike Island tours, Floatplane tours, rafting, kayaking, Butze Rainforest Nature Walks, Skeena River bus tours, Tsimshian Canoe tours etc etc etc. Mind you, the average price for any of those is over $100 a head, and lasts anywhere from 1 to 5 hours each depending on where you go, but there are a few things for people to see and do, as well as many others that aren’t sponsored by Norweigan Cruise Lines.
As for the currency exchange, some stores just aren’t able to give out US change, as their computer systems simply can’t do it. Ours will be short at close if we give back anything but Canadian change, and I really don’t want our banking guy phoning me and charging my store with a wrong deposit every week, that’s just not going to happen. Some stores though, will break down any US bills so they won’t recieve as much Canadian change, but can only do this if we have taken in enough US currency to start with. At least we as Canadians are able to accept US currency… there are many places in the states that won’t even accept Canadian currency at all… and just laugh at it like it’s play money.
What they need is an ATM type machine that would live in the Atlin Terminal. As they head back to the ship the tourists would feed it their Canadian money and get out American, minus a small fee.
I agree that there could be lots more going on in town for Cruise ship passengers, as well as all tourists in general. An open market at Mariners Park with local vendors and artisans would be a great idea, and if the city council wants local businesses to cater more to cruise ship passengers then they shouldn’t charge them an arm and a leg for vendor liscences. Local businesses aren’t going to stay open if there’s no profit to be had, and they’re not going to pay someone to hang out for an extra 3 hours just to make 20 more bucks for selling a bunch of cheap keychains.
Most of the Americans I’ve met so far are polite, friendly, and really curious about our town and culture. In all honestly, I much prefer them to the rude Albertan fishermen that take over Rushbrook Floats all summer.
And if one more American rolls their eyes and sighs heavily when I tell them for the 50th time that I can’t give them all their change back in American after they’ve handed me a 100 dollar bill after buying about 3 dollars worth of stuff I swear to God I won’t be responsible for starting an international incident.
actually that would pretty much solve the exchange problem entirely. they could convert their american money into canadian on their way out to town, then back again on the way back. someone should tell whoever runs the terminal to approach some of the banks in town, see if any of them want to supply an atm for that perpose. the credit union likes to do alot of community boosting types of stuff, maybe someone should mention this to them. its a hell of a good idea, problem solved. i betcha there would be a huge lineup at it, they will need more than one id think.
I’ve been very lucky too when meeting American tourists. In this life you will always run across the occasional dick-head, but I’ve found the tourists to be friendly.
totally true i never have run into a bad toursit mostly it is bad intown people that are the ansty ones to the toursits. the dick-heads are usually the locals not the toursits. I also born and raised here and have never have run into a toursits that been a dick-head
Well, the last time I was in Rupert I went downtown on a “cruise” day and have to say that compared to the 'Mericans I lived alongside with and worked for when I was in the Rockies, the ones fresh off the boat seemed a lot harder to please. I think the biggest diference is that the ones I met in the mountains were there to have fun and play/ski/fish so they had something to do and loved the scenery/laid back ambience whereas the boat visitors are there simply because they have some time to kill and Rupert is not their destination of choice. So if they don’t find something that gratifies their immediate interest, they are not inclined to be too happy.
That afternoon when I wandered around the town in the midst of the boat visitors I mostly saw staffers on Third Avenue bending over backwards to accomodate the tourists but in return I saw one US person toss their change back at a clerk,saying they “don’t want Canadian money!!” and talked to one chagrined business owner who told me that most of the cruise visitors kept trying to get him to knock down prices even on items already on sale. Compared to what I was used to when with dealing with international tourists, it was kind of sad. Agreed that in tough economic times businesses have to peddle themselves a little harder but a little more pleasant attitude on the parts of some of those people going through the stores and cafes would have made the afternoon a lot more bearable for staffers…after a few years of that kind of attitude coming through, I’d be more than a little bitter myself on cruise days and disinclined to extend the “dog and pony show” into the evening hours.
Myself i also work close to where the cruise ship docks so we get a lot of them. And i dont think that it would be hard for the cruise ship to make an onboard announcement that “hey you are in Canada” I meen the one thing i get asked more than anything now is (generic american accent) “are your prices in american” its gotten to the point where i say with a fake smile “well you are in canada”
As for the taxes, that may have been true a couple of years ago. but the other day we got a call from the customs office saying that they no longer refund the taxes.
and as for the subject of them complaining about getting canadian change back instead of american
is actually written in the law that merchants have to give back canadian.
and answer this question. if you went to the united states and went to a wallmart and handed them a crisp new COLORFUL Canadian $20 bill, what would the american cashier do?
Let’s get over ourselves people with the persistent condemnation of the Americans! As posted previously, there are “shit-head” tourists in every country including us when we travel stateside or abroad or do we consider ourselves perfect, polite Canadian tourists… What about the assholes that reside in our own fair town who treat salespeople and service people like shit or vice versa.
In Washington state, the cashier would smile, say thank you for shopping at WalMart and give you change in US currency while explaining any exchange difference.
By the boatload, it’s a statistical fact there’s going to be several “Ugly Americans”. Cashiers can smile, tell them this is Canada and our mint is doing so well we can afford coloured ink and real metal coins instead of just electroplated copper.
Here here to that!!! I have been workng with the public and some are the worst…hey if you meet them on the street thats a different thing get behind that counter!! see how long u last! wont be 7 years like me!! if you dish out the atitude with some of us…you will get it back…to bad for you if you cant take it!
one of the town’s finest was passed out on the park bench in mariner’s park during the cruise ship, and had a half drank bottle laying under him, and people everywhere were taking pics. maybe they can forward them to the tourism board here and we can make some post cards
That’s to complain about? How about four or five, puking, leaning against every restaurant and bar in town every Friday and Saturday?
The locals won’t go out for dinner. Tourists run screaming…
Godda dollar? Godda dollar? Bleeeeaaaaggghhh gakk splatt
They sold the infamous “Zoo” here in the Fort. Turned down an offer from Days Inn and took one from 2 East Indian investors. They are going to “fix it up”. I’m thinking of informing the mayor if he even thinks of supporting the license for the bar or the beer store to be transferred I will personally run against him. The shithole needs to be torched and purged from the collective memory of this town.
as I am sure a few of my friends. Maybe?, keep it in mind for next cruise ship season and research the pros and cons. I think Bob on the Rocks at Rushbrook is one fella who would know what the clientele in that area are looking to do for their time here aside from charters. Honestly, keep me in mind, I would be more than willing to help with Rushbrook anyway, as I walk there all the time 
What about the assholes that reside in our own fair town who treat salespeople and service people like shit or vice versa.