After years of all the same ships seemingly sailing to all the same ports, there is a new Alaskan port this summer. SilverSea will stop twice this summer in the small Alaskan town of Yakutat. There is no cruise dock, so approximately 120 guests will tender to town to get a slice of Alaskan life experience. There won't be the usual Alaska excursions because the town is not ready for them. This is the first time they've allowed any modern cruise ship to visit. Instead the passengers will get to see some local performers, tour a fish processing plant or see some local wildlife.
Yakutat took these baby steps with SilverSea after avoiding cruise lines for decades. Now the changing economy and the need for economic diversity and tourism dollars has the town open to the idea of cruise passengers. In addition to the two stops this summer, there are also two planned for 2016. If those prove popular and profitable, you can expect more stops in the future, bigger ships and likely a full cruise dock.
Cruise passengers often get a bad reputation with tourism boards. The stereotype is that they are boorish, don't spend enough, boom into town and then leave. We know that is not true and the people of Yakutat will find that out this summer. This is the start of growth in their city and the chance for SilverSea to offer an exclusive destination.
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