Private/public port investments in Southeast, now planned for Seward
Rapid growth of cruise tourism (see page 4) has prompted major cruise companies to invest in new Alaska infrastructure to ensure ports will have the capability of handling the new very large cruise ships. Carnival Corp. which owns Princess Cruises and Holland America, has already invested at Skagway. Ward Cove Group is developing a $50 million new cruise ship dock and passenger facility in Ketchikan with God- speed Inc. and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Norwegian also purchased a shore land parcel in Juneau for $20 million with plans to build a new dock for its own vessels. The latest development is the state-owned Alaska Railroad Corp.’s Request for Proposals for a private partner in reconstruction
of its ship dock in Seward along with a new shore- side passenger facility. Costs are estimated at $60 million to $70 million. If the deal comes together construction could begin in 2021 and be complete by 2023. The railroad’s current 736-foot dock at Seward was built on piles in 1966. The new dock would be a floating platform capable of serving two vessels of 1,080 feet length. The onshore passenger terminal would accommodate up to 1,500.