A storm forecasted to bring high winds to Southeast Alaska has led to the cancellation of scheduled cruise ship stops in Sitka and other ports. Two of the three vessels that arrived in Juneau on Monday, September 30th, will remain overnight until Tuesday evening, October 1st, as confirmed by local officials.
The storm was expected to primarily impact the outer coast of the Southeast Panhandle, with winds reaching up to 60 mph beginning Monday morning. In Juneau, winds were forecast to peak at ~45 mph by Monday night, according to Spencer Fielding, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau. Sitka and Ketchikan are anticipated to experience the greatest disruptions due to the storm, which was projected to persist until Tuesday morning.
MS Koningsdam, carrying 2,650 passengers, arrived in Juneau early at ~09:30 a.m. Monday, bypassing the scheduled stop in Skagway. Originally set to dock at 1:30 p.m., the ship will now depart Juneau at 7 p.m. Tuesday, instead of the previously scheduled time of 10:30 p.m. Monday.
MS Eurodam, with a capacity of 2,104 passengers, arrived in Juneau as planned at 12:30 p.m. Monday. However, Eurodam will also remain in port until 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, departing later than the original 10:00 p.m. Monday schedule.
The third vessel, Norwegian Bliss, accommodating 4,004 passengers, docked in Juneau from 2:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday. As of Monday evening, it was unclear whether the ship would adhere to her departure schedule or extend her stay due to the weather conditions. However, the Bliss is currently in Skagway.
Other itinerary changes include the Ovation of the Seas, which had been in Juneau on Sunday. The ship canceled her planned stop in Skagway on Monday due to the storm and also bypassed Ketchikan while heading south.
MS Noordam is similarly adjusting her schedule, with an updated stop in Juneau now planned from noon to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Cruise Line Agencies of Alaska.