Tomorrow's Cruise Ship Visit Canceled
The Holland America cruise ship, ms Zuiderdam, which was scheduled to arrive in Port Angeles tomorrow, will NOT be coming in after all. Their Port Angeles visit has been canceled because of rough conditions at sea.
posted by Tom Harper at 2:50 PM
23 Comments:
Frankly my dear, I don't give a shit.
Oh! Port Angeles' chance to make millions evaporates.
Oh, Port Angeles doesn't make any money on these cruise ship visits, so, who cares.
It looks like a corporate jet just came in to take some more money away, or boss some monkeys around.
I noticed that the de-barking and log stacking operations were shut down during the time the last cruise ship came to Port Angeles. Aren't the city's leadership just SO proud of the "Logs for China" that this "Authentic Northwest" town is engaged in, to show it off for the tourists? No ballons and dancers at the log yard?
Anon 11:15 - how do you know our town doesn't make money when the cruise ships come in? If you have factual evidence, share it.
Your move.
@Anon 4:30
You ARE kidding, aren't you???
First, there are no "cruise ships", just one.
Across the water, 15 miles away, Victoria will have 219 cruise ships dock this year. Last year was a similar number. These hundreds of ships all visit within about 6 months of each year. With that kind of volume, real business opportunities can be developed. With one ship or two, not so much.
From what I saw of the last cruise ship a few weeks ago, from my vantage point overlooking Marine Drive, the people walking back to the ship mostly had no bags or any evidence of purchases. A few did have bags with what looked like magazines or a newspaper in it.
If you add up the money people spent to accomodate the cruise ship, versus the money spent by the tourists, the difference would be minimal.
The cruise ship industry says these visits in cities like Victoria, Seattle and Vancouver bring in millions per ship, per visit. And they likely do in those cities for a variety of reasons. One being the re-stocking of the ships' supplies while in port. In emptying off and disposing of accumulated wastes.
But, Port Angeles is not set up to re-stock these vessels. It just is a quickie stop in a little town that makes all the other stops the ships make look that much better.
Unhappy anon @ 12:49 AM - I feel sorry for you, living where you don't want to.
It's sort of ironic. The pioneer spirit makes people want to do things, build things, be the "first", be the first to go somewhere, but there are always whiners like you around, all over earth, that always well, make life suck just that much more.
So, it's time to move on, you pioneer, you. Get the fuck out of Port Angeles.
When I want to enjoy a cool downtown area I go to Port Townsend or Victoria.
What they should do here is have a shuttle to Seven Cedars.
So it doesn't sound like you have any facts to back up your claim - just you watching from your "vantage point over Marine Drive". I want to make that clear to anyone else reading this, so they don't give your baseless ramblings any merit.
I'm still unclear though - do you WANT cruise ships here or not? While we only have one or two a year right now, it's a start. I spoke to a few of the visitors from the Oosterdam and they were surprised to see how beautiful our town was. Gosh darn it, one of them was even curious about the aforementioned log yard next to the ship.
Here's my unsolicited advice to you and anyone else who feels the need to chime in only to gripe baselessly - get off your ass and do something. If you want to grow this opportunity, help out. Even if it's just being an open sounding board for the people who plan the visits, do it.
Otherwise, kindly shut the fuck up and let the rest of us try to make our city better without your ignorant dissent.
I truly hope you choose the better path, and the welcome to participate is sincere. Your move.
Also...
Part of the appeal of a cruise ship is the onboard dining. Which means that, for the most part, the people will eat on the ship before they get off, then wait to eat again until they are back onboard. So our local (well, downtown anyway) restaurants don't benefit.
And what shops are there really for these cruise ship people to shop in? There are a couple of shops they MIGHT be drawn to, but, right now, downtown is essentially junk shop row, and I doubt that the cruise ship passengers are all excited about buying our local castoffs and second-hand family "heirlooms" that have been sold out of desperation.
Also, how could they possibly buy those things, even if they wanted to, when most of those who get off the ship are quickly whisked off away from downtown to our local destinations? I mean, I haven't seen a lot of stuff to buy up at Hurricane Ridge, or at the Fine Arts Center, or wherever.
Finally, ask someone from the Port how much they make having a ship in our harbor for reparis, versus how much they have to lay out to "welcome" one of these cruise ships. It's not even close. The cruise ships are an ego stroke for a few foolish local civic and elected "leaders," but in terms of adding to our economy...It's a wash, at best.
And, as we've just seen, it's a wash that can also be diverted or canceled at the last minute. Not exactly something you can ever depend on.
FREE food on the ships. FREE FOOD, its part of the package. FREE FOOD. So, why would they want to eat in town? Meanwhile, booze costs $$, so if anything the ship residents go to the bar, buy wine, or whatever. As for the whole "what else is there" I'm not even sure they buy books, or trinkets, or quasi-antique-junk because depending on the final destination they would have to pay duty, AND, then haul it to where-ever "home" via airplane. A number of people on a cruise ship do not disembark because the whole point of being on a cruise ship is to sit your fat ass down and be lazy. If you could look at sales numbers for the day, you wouldn't even see the mildest pimple of a bump up.
Quit dreaming.
"I mean, I haven't seen a lot of stuff to buy up at Hurricane Ridge..."
Speak for yourself. I, personally, bought two goats and half dozen bottles of spirits from a very nice elderly gentleman occupying a rustic cabin deep in the park. Sadly the goats drank most of the spirits and went on a bit of a drunken rampage throughout my neighborhood before being put down by animal control. I'm still apologizing to Mrs. Konopaski for her garden and her son...
"in terms of adding to our economy...It's a wash, at best"
Depends. There may be other benefits to a cruise ship docking, not so tangible or immediate to tourists spending money downtown. These people are getting a whirlwind tour of whatever ports are on the cruise line. They're not going to get the full experience from a cruise. It's like sampling at a buffet.
The thing about sampling foods, however, is you may discover something you like. If you do, you come back and get a full plate later. You may also tell your friends and family about it.
Same with this cruise line. The tourists disembarking may have a negligible impact on our economy, but I like to think of all the tourists as walking billboard spreading their experiences through their social networks.
I realize this is something hard to quantify, but I also think it's something we should be striving for. Seems like too many people are thinking these cruise ships are going to be the Savior of our city. Instead of acting entitled to whatever money the tourists have in their bank account we should be rolling up our sleeves, putting on our best game face and trying to give these tourists the best experience we can give them... Subtly slipping tourist pamphlets in their bags as we do so.
get off your ass and do something.
I do !! I get out of town. LOL
Boo hoo. If we can't be like Victoria and have a ship a day, I'm just going to cry all day and live off the government and smoke pot all day. Boo hoo.
And skiing. We are not like Aspen. Heck, we aren't even like Stevens Pass. We are such losers. We can't even operate a snow plow. Why can't we be like everyone else and why do they keep rubbing it in, writing these articles about all our lame attempts to be like everyone else, and our missed opportunties, our isolation, our grey skys, out of place logs, our iffy winters, our overly shady teen scene, our failed attempts at starting businesses, scary cameras that are actually laser beam guns, quoting people verbatum, and other silly things like that in this backwater town. Please, please, stop rubbing all this in my big crying eyes. Boo hoo.
I just can't take it anymore.
Anon 3:35 says: " Get the fuck out of Port Angeles."
Yes, that is the kind of true "game face" the tourists really see. Port Angeles at its' best. And usual.
I'll assume Anon 8:59 is the same person, saying: "If you want to grow this opportunity, help out. Even if it's just being an open sounding board for the people who plan the visits, do it.
Otherwise, kindly shut the fuck up and let the rest of us try to make our city better without your ignorant dissent."
Again, America/Port Angeles at its' best. Be a "sounding board", only if you say what I agree with? Your observations and views only count if I agree with them, otherwise " get the fuck out of Port Angeles"? So very American.
I'll be sure to put those comments on leaflets, and pass them out at the next cruise ship event.
Oh. And, I'm waiting for the "facts", the actual figures of the money that was made in Port Angeles when the last ship visited. I posted actual industry figures, not the "baseless ramblings" you provided in response. What, SPECIFICALLY do you think Port Angeles has to offer as a viable business opportunity, that is comprable to what visitors experience in Victoria, Seattle or Vancouver?
"I realize this is something hard to quantify, but I also think it's something we should be striving for."
Ummm, what do you think folks here have been doing for the last 150 years? Sucking their toes?
And as was said before, look around. After 150 years of people coming to Port Angeles with their visions, enthusiasm and money, what is there to show for it all?
LOL! Read article about this in todays' PDN. What a bunch of whiners!
Maybe the Chamber will vote to sue Holland America for their "losses".
This town needs to capitalize on what we have going on right now. Anybody drive down marine drive or the Hook while Halibut season has been open? Look at all the fishermen that are in town. A lot of boats launch early in the morning but you can’t buy breakfast that early. What about Halibut Day’s or Salmon Day’s. I’m from a small town and that town caters to the Hunters and fishermen when season is open. We had Mt. Bikers in town but we didn’t even cater to them?????? There are ways to make money and make outsiders fee welcome.
Read in the PDN that out of the more than 2,000 passengers (and over 1,000 crew) on that cruise ship, only 12 signed up for Don Perry's "Port Angeles Underground" tour, and 24 had signed up to go up to Hurricane Ridge.
Wow. That kind of interest really speaks to what Port Angeles offers. With that kind of economic jumpstart once a year, Port Angeles' economy will really get a boost!
Still waiting to hear about the SPECIFICS the "sounding board" for the Port Angeles cruise ship advocates have, to actually make any meaningful money from the ships' visits.
All well and good to say folks like me spout "baseless ramblings", "our city better without your ignorant dissent", and to dismiss any questioning of the status quo with "kindly shut the fuck up" and "Get the fuck out of Port Angeles." But, what SPECIFICS do YOU offer?
As you said in such a confrontational way: " Your move".
Anon 10:28
You've failed to answer the questions originally asked in response to your initial posting. Therefore, I've dismissed you as a discontent whiner who offers nothing worthwhile to the community dialogue.
I hope for the day when you'll mature enough to be a meaningful part of the solution the rest of us are focused on.
Again, it's your move...but I for one am moving on.
@Anon 7:40 am
LOL! Anyone reading this thread can see you offered nothing of substance to the conversation. I pointed out that for cruise ships to be any meaningful part of a Port Angeles business plan, there needed to be an ongoing, predictable, regular pattern busineeses can plan around. That re-stocking these shiops is part of those types of businesses, as seen in other cities that are already, actually doing just that.
You, in your "mature" and "meaningful" way told me to "Get the fuck out of Port Angeles.", and "kindly shut the fuck up".
Yes, you just move right along, offering no specifics. With your kind of "help", no wonder Port Angeles remains the backwater it has become.
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