RCCL ban from glasier park

[bigred08046]

Is RCCL/Celebrity still banned from glacier national park? I understand the ban is from dumping trash at sea and were fined and banned for 5 years!

[bonvoyagie]

Well they allow only 2 ships/day and currently HAL, Princess, and NCL have most all of the slots. Carnival had only 2 sailings into Glacier Bay this past season - the first and last cruises of the season.

 

Here is a link to the NPS view on cruise ships in Glacier Bay

http://www.nps.gov/glba/parkmgmt/cruise-ships.htm

[Coral]

RCCL/Celebrity has not sailed to Glacier Bay for more then 10 years. I sailed RCCL in 2002 and they couldn't go there back then and to my knowledge, hasn't returned since. I honestly do not know what years they actually went there.

 

I am guessing the companies who have the permits are somehow locked into them and they limit how much ships per day can go into Glacier Bay (2 ships per day).

[PennyAgain]

In the beginning of permits for Glacier Bay visits, the companies who were there first (HAL and Princess) were first in line. Companies who arrived in Alaska later on had to wait their turn.

 

The late arrivals to Alaska cruising pick up permets as they are able to do so or not at all of late as with RCCL.

[Chenega]

In the beginning of permits for Glacier Bay visits, the companies who were there first (HAL and Princess) were first in line. Companies who arrived in Alaska later on had to wait their turn.

 

The late arrivals to Alaska cruising pick up permets as they are able to do so or not at all of late as with RCCL.

 

Exactly. Cruise ship sailings into Glacier Bay are restricted to two a day by the National Park Service. It's a bit of a lottery system. For those companies that don't get a permit, they usually substitute either Hubbard Glacier or Tracy Arm to their itineraries.

[bonvoyagie]

I have found some references to a 1999 incident where RCCL was caught dumping waste in AK waters. If that lead to a ban from Glacier Bay then it must have been for life - or it was long enough (5yrs) that when the permits and quota system were established in 2003 they were already on the outs to get any quota and were effectively elminated from the pool from there on out to today.

[AkSusan]

I have found some references to a 1999 incident where RCCL was caught dumping waste in AK waters. If that lead to a ban from Glacier Bay then it must have been for life - or it was long enough (5yrs) that when the permits and quota system were established in 2003 they were already on the outs to get any quota and were effectively elminated from the pool from there on out to today.

Here's what the NPS has currently on their website in regards to allocable sites - http://www.nps.gov/glba/parkmgmt/cruise-ships.htm

 

Cruise Ship Services

 

This page includes information regarding Cruise Ship concession authorizations in Glacier Bay. For a complete listing of companies that provide commercial visitor services in and around Glacier Bay, please see the

Goods and Services page.

Cruise ship means any motor vessel of at least 100 tons gross (U.S. System) or 2,000 tons gross (International Convention System) certified to carry more than 12 passengers for hire. [36 CFR 13.1102]

Cruise Ship Vessel Quota Information

As of January 2, 2007, new vessel regulations became effective and established two separate seasonal cruise ship vessel quota periods in Glacier Bay and increased the seasonal vessel quotas in both the prime and shoulder season periods.

Cruise ship use in Glacier Bay proper is subject to both daily and seasonal regulatory limits. A "daily vessel quota" limits use to no more than two cruise ships per day (year around). In addition, "seasonal vessel quotas" are in effect for May and September (for convenience we refer to this as the "shoulder season") and June, July and August ("prime season"). For 2007 (and until changed) the shoulder season quota is 92 use days and the prime season quota is 153 use days. These seasonal quotas are reviewed annually by the Superintendent and may be reduced or increased (to a maximum of two per day, every day) as needed to protect park values and purposes. [36 CFR 13.1160]

Additional information regarding vessel quotas and the parks vessel management program is available at: http://www.nps.gov/glba/parkmgmt/vessel.htm

 

Cruise Ship Concession Authorizations

Cruise ship services are authorized under concession contracts. A specific number of entries/use days are allocated to specific Cruise ship concessioners to operate in Glacier Bay during the prime season, June - August. These concessioners then coordinate their scheduling to insure compliance with the daily and seasonal limits. Two Concessioners (Holland/America and Princess Cruises) are currently historical operators, as defined by ANILCA section 1307, which entitles them to non-competitively continue their historic use (seventy-one entries), 36CFR, Sec. 13.305. The remaining entries have been competitively allocated. If you are interested in providing cruiseship services in Glacier Bay during the shoulder season, please contact the concession staff below for information on submitting a proposal.

The six companies listed below are authorizationed to provide cruise ship services in Glacier Bay (click on the link to view their concession contracts):

Princess Cruiselines

Holland America, Inc.

Norwegian Cruiselines

West Travel, Inc

Carnival Cruise Lines

Crystal Cruises

 

And reading further, it seems in 2009, they gave new contracts to 4 companies http://www.nps.gov/glba/parknews/2009-01-14.htm 10 year contracts. So, the original 2 grandfathered in and the new 4 are the 6 and they have those rights until 2019. So, no new companies will be allowed in until then and then of course, only if they win!

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[Chenega]

I have found some references to a 1999 incident where RCCL was caught dumping waste in AK waters. If that lead to a ban from Glacier Bay then it must have been for life - or it was long enough (5yrs) that when the permits and quota system were established in 2003 they were already on the outs to get any quota and were effectively elminated from the pool from there on out to today.

 

That would have been an issue between the state of Alaska and the cruise line. Access to and from Glacier Bay is a federal issue since it involves the National Park Service.