Noordam brings 1,664 tourists to Wrangell on 'last minute' change to itinerary

The 935-foot-long Holland America Noordam made a stop in Wrangell last Wednesday, bringing 1,664 passengers and 700 crew members to town.

Curious travelers flooded along Front Street and walked as far down as Peninsula Street and out to the Volunteer Park Nature Trail, stopping in shops and taking as many photos as they could during the seven hours the ship was in port.

The Noordam wasn't originally scheduled to stop in Wrangell; cruise lines typically schedule their routes about two years in advance. The stop was on the ship's final Alaska summer voyage, which took it from Vancouver, British...