Norwegian Cruise Lines today announced a change to their Alaska cruise schedule for 2012, and it is a change that leaves Prince Rupert off the itinerary.
Not suprised in the least by this news. Why would they shop here when there is nothing for their passengers to do when they get off the boat…little to no shopping, no entertainment…nothing. Outside of the few shore execursions offerred by the local tour companies, there is really nothing.
Cow Bay merchants are not going to like this news.
Updated to include comment from Norwegian Cruise Lines.
probably should have had something for people to do to make it a popular stop.
standing in the rain outside safeway does not make for good times.
Updated to include comments from Mayor Mussallem.
NO YOU MAY NOT
Updated again to include comment from North Coast MLA Gary Coons and Tourism Prince Rupert.
Oh what a wake up call for City Council and ourTourism Bureau! NOW they will try and think of something for the passengers to do while they are here for their LAST season !! Even us HTMF peeps have had ideas and some real good ones that would have been feasible for implementing during the past cruise ship seasons. This is a big blow to our town, especially in Cow Bay as they are the only retailers that seemed to care about the passengers while they were here. Yet another nail in Councils’ collective coffin, we can only hope ! Friggin bullshit !
Anyone who had regularly read the comments on the NCL website probably won’t be surprised about the developments today. Some of the folks had rather unkind things to say about the Rupert stop on the cruise ship tour list, more than a few requested that this stop be replaced by Victoria.
Guess NCL took a look at that and decided that was the way to go.
Be interesting to see how long it takes to bring back a cruise line this time compared to the eighties when the cruise lines pulled out.
Can’t wait to see the first photo featuring a "white elephant"to appear somewhere
With Herb Pond’s features no doubt… the one who also gave us CityWest…
I am saddened some what to hear this news, but not at all surprised… lets face it there just isnt enough to do and the weather works against them so much… we will have yet another white elephant. As someone said standing by side Safeway in the rain does not make for much fun… Will be interesting to see how much interest in the ship drops the last year of arrivals…
Ships pulled out in the 80s and I wonder how long it will take to bring them back this time around…
Is anyone really surprised? Really?
Between the inability to bring in attractions and grand site seeing for the area, it’s a wonder why the cruise ships came here in the first place. I’m surprised they didn’t pull out last year.
Thinks we need a new head of Tourism Prince Rupert,need some new blood and ideas.
[quote=“Speakuppr”]
With Herb Pond’s features no doubt… the one who also gave us CityWest…[/quote]
Well I have had issues with some of the past Mayor’s efforts in days gone by, but really when it came to tourism Mr. Pond at least understood the topic and did some pretty workmanlike things to keep it alive. Can’t really nail this particular problem on his shoulders I wouldn’t think.
Some of the issues in the Cow Bay are associated to the cruise ship dock could be put on his watch (the big parking lot that never became the boutique shops and such of grand dreams) but he at least was out there making the effort to build up the tourism industry in his time in office, going so far as to even greet the tourists on occasion.
Despite his quotes in the Northern View today, I can’t say that the current mayor has the same understanding of the tourism sector as the past one did.
The way things are going around here these days, the Pond years may actually seem like our halcyon ones of the last decade or so!
it would be interesting to see in a poll, even with all the history of the last ten years or so to judge from, which Mayor the locals would vote for today if an election were held, Mayor Mussallem or Mayor Pond?
Yeah, it wasn’t a literal question beckoning for replies but, I’d vote Pond in a heartbeat. Someone should ask him when he’s running for Mayor again.
Well ok lets make it a literal question I’ll do up a poll, be sure to log on and cast your vote again.
OK it’s up and running, ladies and gentlemen start your engines!
Good I’d rather do without all the turkeys standing in the street and the big boats ruining my view !
LOL yeah I feel sad that the efforts of so many have run aground, with the future nonexistance of cruise ships but you have a point there, most really don’t spend that much, so are we really losing anything? Many shops down town never made enough from the ship to justify staying open… I often think that most of the money spent at cow bay is from the locals anyway?