The 649-foot Seabourn Odyssey dropped anchor just off Klawock on May 6, marking a new era of cruise ship tourism on Prince of Wales Island.
About 3,700 people could visit Klawock and Craig this summer by way of three different cruise ships making a total of six stops.
The Seabourn Cruise Lines ship was the first to ever visit the Port of Klawock and brought about 300 passengers to Prince of Wales near the end of a 43-day, one-way voyage from Hong Kong to Vancouver, British Columbia, that included stops in Korea and Japan, as well as Alaska stops in Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Homer, Glacier Bay and Sitka, according to the company.
The Seabourn Odyssey, which can accommodate up to 450 passengers, is scheduled for a second visit to Klawock later this summer and eight stops in Wrangell, with the first set for Sunday, May 19.
Wrangell, however, lost two other ships to Klawock this summer. The 746-passenger Seven Seas Explorer dropped a visit to Wrangell in May, and the 670-passenger Regatta canceled two Wrangell stops in order to go to Klawock.
Cruise industry leaders and government representatives in Klawock welcomed crew members and passengers from the Odyssey on May 6 and commemorated the opening of the Port of Klawock with speeches, a ribbon cutting, student presentations and a performance by the Heenya Kwáan dancers, according to the Prince of Wales Chamber of Commerce.
The Klawock Island Dock Co. long operated a log sorting yard and timber dock at the waterfront property.
Cruise ship passengers visited Klawock and Craig by bus during the day.
Klawock Heenya Corp., the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act village corporation for Klawock, is developing the destination with Na-Dena, the joint-venture Native tourism development company founded between Huna Totem Corp., the ANCSA village corporation for Hoonah, and Doyon, the ANCSA regional corporation for Interior Alaska.
The three corporations are paving the way for the cruise industry to add Klawock to their itineraries by creating a partnership called Klawock Island Ventures. The development in Klawock is modeled on Huna Totem’s Icy Strait Point, which opened in 2004 as a small float dock and can now accommodate two huge ships at a time.
An email from the Prince of Wales Chamber of Commerce this month stated that Klawock Island Ventures’ plan for the six cruise ship visits in 2024 “includes operating five buses, with two for tour transportation and three shuttle buses running every 20 minutes” into Klawock and Craig, including stops at an artisans market and the Craig Tribal Association’s Smoke & Gift Shop.
“Our tour offerings include a highlight tour of Klawock’s carving shed, totem park and riverside, a hatchery kayak tour, a marine mammal exploration and a culinary tour showcasing local delicacies by the river,” the chamber said.
Klawock Island Ventures has “already brought on board security personnel from Thorne Bay, greeters from Port Saint Nicholas, storytellers from Klawock, adventure tour operators from rural areas and bus narrators from Hydaburg — all enthusiastic about representing our community and welcoming visitors,” according to the chamber email.
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