Environmental engineer Dan Daniel explains the advanced environmental systems aboard Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas during a ship tour last month.
January 1, 1970
The Skagway Municipal Assembly passed a resolution August 20 asking the state to create a panel to evaluate the 2006 Cruise Initiative and to review the commercial passenger vessel (CVP) excise tax of $50, which "a majority of Skagway residents did not vote for."
The resolution states that "the Municipality of Skagway is starting to see a significant drop in cruise visitation," projecting a loss of 150,000 visitors between 2007 and 2010. "The drop in visitors coincides with the implementation of the CPV Tax."
The decline in cruise visitors has taken an economic toll on Skagway in both revenues and employment.
"The Municipality of Skagway urges Governor Parnell and the Alaska Legislature to review the legislation passed in 2006 ... and come up with appropriate recommendations that will help encourage the cruise industry to continue to maintain and expand its presence in Alaska," the resolution states.
Skagway is Alaska's third most popular cruise port. The community greeted 820,800 cruise visitors in 2007, according to research conducted by the McDowell Group.