Juneau's Docks and Harbors department is readying for the inbound cruise season as it makes headway on other projects around the city, said the harbormaster. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)

Docks and harbors rigs for cruise season

It’ll be the first full season since 2019.

As Juneau readies for its first full cruise season in years, beginning with the Norwegian Bliss on April 25, City and Borough Juneau Docks and Harbors are preparing for a busy season.

The department is staffing up its seasonal positions as it readies its piers and looks to continue work on its other harbors, said Harbormaster Matt Creswell.

“We’re just getting ready. It depends on turning the switch on for a real season in two years,” Creswell said in a phone interview. “March of 2019 was the last time we were doing it. We’ve got 29 open positions to fill. We are crazy about hiring right now.”

[Alaska elected officials react to Russian invasion of Ukraine]

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The large number of positions, which include harbor officers, harbor technicians and administrative assistants, comes from a federal mandate for increased security pierside, which requires more bodies to check passenger IDs and boarding passes, Creswell said.

“That’s a direct result of increased security requirements,” Creswell said. “That’s the impetus of why we’re having to create so many more positions.”

The schedule for the 2022 cruise season is a brisk one, Creswell said, with the first vessel due on April 25 and the last on Oct. 18. Reservations for large vessels other than cruise ships are also looking good, Creswell said.

“We know we’re going to get lots of ships. We don’t know how full the ships will be. What we’re seeing is demand is high,” Creswell said. “(Yacht) reservations are tracking normal where they should be. We should see a lot of large yachts this year.”

There’s also a lot of work readying Docks and Harbors facilities to be done, Creswell said, including cleaning, pressure washing, preventative maintenance for the piers, restriping parking lots, and more as the season turns to spring. Dock and Harbors personnel also need to meet with tour operators to talk operating procedures for vehicles like the tour buses, Creswell said, making sure everyone’s on the same page.

The department isn’t neglecting its local harbors either as ongoing projects continue, Creswell said.

“We’re beginning talks of (Don D.) Statter Harbor Phase 3C, which is paving the uplands, otherwise known as the bus lot,” Creswell said. “That’s a head tax project.”

The department is also looking at replacing piers that were removed from Aurora Harbor. The project was priced out several years ago, Creswell said, but the economics since then have somewhat shifted. The

“Initial cost estimates were done in 2017,” Creswell said. “Four million dollars in 2017 isn’t four million dollars today. We don’t even know what that gets back in right now.”

The department is also looking to finish repairs for the floats wrenched by high winds in Statter Harbor by mid-spring, Creswell said. Engineers are beginning to apply for grants for projects, and the hiring of a night watchman for the harbor facilities in addition to physical security seems to have paid off, Creswell said.

“Police calls are way down in the harbors. We’re not getting nearly as many theft reports,” Creswell said. “He’s also getting a hand on the derelict vehicles.”

The department is also looking at usage rate changes, Creswell said; a proposed increase to some fees from the Docks and Harbors Board will go to the Juneau Assembly early next week.

• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Feb. 1

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

A street sign on Pederson Hill. (City and Borough of Juneau photo)
Effort to reduce street fatalities is first CBJ project put on hold due to Trump’s vow to slash federal budget

Open houses to get public input on grant-funded program canceled due to uncertainty about funds

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Monday, Jan. 27, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Emma Pokon, then acting commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, speaks on Nov. 15, 2023, at the Resource Development for Alaska annual conference in Anchorage. Pokon, whom Gov. Mike Dunleavy promoted to commissioner the following month, was chosen to lead the regional Environmental Protection Agency office serving Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and 271 tribal nations. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska environmental commissioner picked for Trump administration EPA post

Alaska’s top environmental regulator was chosen to be the new Pacific Northwestern… Continue reading

The State Office Building in Juneau is seen on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
Salary board recommends automatic pay changes for Alaska governor, legislators, top officials

Switch to inflation-adjusted salaries will automatically take effect unless lawmakers reject it.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé students, along with a handful of state legislators and staff members, march from the school to the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 4, 2024, in a protest seeking more state funding from lawmakers. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Alaska students rank 51st among 53 U.S. jurisdictions in 3 of 4 categories in annual ‘Nation’s Report Card’

Dunleavy administration says it shows failure of public schools, other say it reflects lack of funds.

Most Read