Princess Cruises has advised that it is making a series of adjustments to itineraries for several of its ships making port calls to Skagway, AK.
On 23JUL, Alaska's News Source reports, a small landslide from the steep, rocky cliffs at the dock forced the White Pass Rail Road to close the forward berth at the Railroad Dock. It's the primary location where Princess Cruises' Royal Class ships - as well as ships from other cruise lines - dock in Skagway.
“No one was injured during the occurrence,” White Pass Marketing Manager Jacqueline Taylor-Rose wrote in a release soon after. “The cruise ships scheduled for the pier have made alternative plans for the day. The Discovery Princess has repositioned to the aft position and will be tendering guests to the Small Boat Harbor. The Quantum of the Seas has diverted from Skagway.”
In a statement to the media on 26JUL, Princess Cruises noted that it "appreciates and supports" the decision to close the berth, with health and safety of its guests and crew in mind.
As a result, the 26JUL call of Majestic Princess will instead call on Icy Strait Point, but Crown Princess will continue with its scheduled call in Skagway Tuesday, as it docks at a different Skagway pier.
This development also will affect the 27JUL call of Royal Princess, the 28JUL visit of Discovery Princess and the 30JUL visit of Grand Princess., the specifics of which are still being coordinated.
Princess says it will continue to work with officials from Skagway and the White Pass Rail Road to determine when scheduled calls can return. Other cruise lines' Alaska itineraries will likely be similarly altered.
Cruise Week reports that authorities in Skagway say their town's busiest cruise ship dock is at significant "risk of catastrophic rockslide."
Engineers made onsite observations, looked at the historic record of movements of the rocky cliff and took readings that show "an apparent increase in movement." They say "complete failure of this feature" "is approaching," "with significant risks to life and property."
