Busiest cruise ship season ever for Nome expected this summer

The cruise liner Crystal Serenity anchored offshore at Nome in 2017.
The cruise liner Crystal Serenity anchored offshore at Nome in 2017. (Photo by Gabe Colombo/KNOM)

The first cruise ship to pass through the Port of Nome will arrive in July. According to Lucas Stotts, Nome’s harbormaster, the port is expected to receive the most cruise ships the city has ever had come through Nome waters in one summer.

Robin Johnson of Nome Discovery Tours confirms that, so far, seven ships have booked arrangements to stop in Nome, with a few making multiple layovers through town during the cruise season.

Kenia Najera is one of the spokespeople representing the travel company Hurtigruten. One of the company’s vessels, the Roald Amundsen, plans to make port in Nome at the end of its three-week journey through the Northwest Passage.

“Hurtigruten is an expedition cruise line, so for them, it’s all about adventure and exploring untouched waters and different environments,” Najera said. “So I think Alaska is definitely on their radar, and they expanded in Alaska because of that. There are a lot of things that aren’t explored.”

The Hurtigruten vessel is expected to spend a full day in Nome with a capacity of more than 500 passengers during the month of September. Other scheduled ships include The World and National Geographic Orion.

Stotts said the port’s services to accommodate the Roald Amundsen and other cruise ships will remain the same, allowing some to dock and others to anchor outside the Nome harbor.

KNOM - Nome

KNOM is our partner station in Nome. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.

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