Cancelling an Alaska Port 10 months in advance

[Martezz]

Does anyone know why HAL would cancel an Alaska Port 10 months in advance and blame it on operational reasons? We were scheduled to stop in Dutch Harbor Alaska on our May cruise from Japan to Vancouver. Instead of substituting another port, they are giving us a few extra hours at some ports in Japan and increasing our number of sea days to 6 straight.

[Fouremco]

Does anyone know why HAL would cancel an Alaska Port 10 months in advance and blame it on operational reasons? We were scheduled to stop in Dutch Harbor Alaska on our May cruise from Japan to Vancouver. Instead of substituting another port, they are giving us a few extra hours at some ports in Japan and increasing our number of sea days to 6 straight.

Your TA or HAL could probably shed some light on the operational reasons.

 

I don't know if it's related or not, but last week a ship's hull was gashed in the waters off Dutch Harbor when it hit a shoal. The sea depth that was supposed to be about 45 feet in that area is 21 feet shallower than previously thought. Possible HAL is avoiding this port until the area is recharted.

[Cuizer2]

Operational reason can mean anything from the navigator couldn't find the port on the map to the kick backs were not high enough to justify docking there any more.

[chengkp75]

Your TA or HAL could probably shed some light on the operational reasons.

 

I don't know if it's related or not, but last week a ship's hull was gashed in the waters off Dutch Harbor when it hit a shoal. The sea depth that was supposed to be about 45 feet in that area is 21 feet shallower than previously thought. Possible HAL is avoiding this port until the area is recharted.

 

Have you got a link to this incident? I don't see anything on it in USCG incident reports.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Your TA or HAL could probably shed some light on the operational reasons.

 

I don't know if it's related or not, but last week a ship's hull was gashed in the waters off Dutch Harbor when it hit a shoal. The sea depth that was supposed to be about 45 feet in that area is 21 feet shallower than previously thought. Possible HAL is avoiding this port until the area is recharted.

 

 

Would like to know more about this.

[shadow10]

Have you got a link to this incident? I don't see anything on it in USCG incident reports.

 

There are a few different reports around but it seems as though the ship hit an uncharted shoal

 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/arctic-drilling-support-vessel-heading-oregon-repair-32419260

[chengkp75]

Ah, yes, I'd heard about this, didn't put the two together. Seems there is some discrepancy between the "charted" course and the AIS positions, and AIS shows the support vessel transiting a suspected (but not surveyed) shoal area, and not some place a cruise ship would be near, since the ship's draft would be greater than the drilling vessel.

[Fouremco]

If you Google Dutch Harbor Alaska and click on the "news" button you'll get quite a number of stories.

[sppunk]

Ships run ashore way more often than anyone admits, that isn't the reason.

 

It's either IMO a) the port doesn't have the space any longer (leased out to a higher paying merchant), b) HAL's tours there have fallen through, c) the fuel burn isn't worth it (I don't buy that with cheap prices now) or d) some political fight with the port itself.

[InTheWASide]

Ships run ashore way more often than anyone admits, that isn't the reason.

 

It's either IMO a) the port doesn't have the space any longer (leased out to a higher paying merchant), b) HAL's tours there have fallen through, c) the fuel burn isn't worth it (I don't buy that with cheap prices now) or d) some political fight with the port itself.

 

Regarding C, a company like Carnival Corp hedges their fuel for long periods of time... it's very possible that oil was higher at the time this would have last been done... though it hasn't even been at its highest points in the last couple years.

 

And to the other poster that said maybe the TA could shed light on the operational reasons... just for future reference, TA's are given the same amount of info. Reservations agents, ship services, guest relations, sales, PCC's etc do not get any more information on the matter and if anyone is giving an answer it is likely nothing more than speculation.

[chengkp75]

Ships run ashore way more often than anyone admits, that isn't the reason.

 

It's either IMO a) the port doesn't have the space any longer (leased out to a higher paying merchant), b) HAL's tours there have fallen through, c) the fuel burn isn't worth it (I don't buy that with cheap prices now) or d) some political fight with the port itself.

 

Couple things about the fuel. Dutch Harbor is on the great circle route (shortest route on a sphere) between Japan and Vancouver, so there isn't much of a diversion.

 

However, as soon as the ship comes within 200nm of the shore of the Aleutians, they fall under the US ECA, and have to switch to higher priced (twice as much) low sulfur diesel fuel rather than the high sulfur residual fuel they would be burning the rest of the way across the Pacific.

 

I see the Volendam is scheduled into Dutch Harbor on 26 April. That is still in the peak fishing season, so the harbor may be crammed with fishing boats, but you'd have thought HAL would know that. I can't find anything else about the port schedule that would conflict, unless it deals with Shell's Arctic drilling program, and not much scheduling for next year is available that I can see.

[Martezz]

Thank you everyone for your insight!

[stacyh270]

On our flight back from Anchorage on Sunday, we sat behind a young gentleman who was flying home because he was on that vessel. Said the captain didn't have a lot of experience in those waters and hit a reef, gashing the hull. He also said the replacement vessel ALSO hit it.

[CruisinChris]

Another potential reason not previously mentioned could be tide level. Certain ports are restricted to high draft ships during certain low tides (some are lower than others). This area is subject to extreme tidal fluctation, so that could be a potential reason.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Cruisin'Chris

[chengkp75]

Another potential reason not previously mentioned could be tide level. Certain ports are restricted to high draft ships during certain low tides (some are lower than others). This area is subject to extreme tidal fluctation' date=' so that could be a potential reason.[/quote']

 

There is a low tide at around 4pm, on 4/26/16, with the ship scheduled to leave at 5pm, but the low tide is only to right around mean low low water, which is what the charted depths are marked in. I don't have the chart there, so I don't know if there is a bar or not.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our flight back from Anchorage on Sunday, we sat behind a young gentleman who was flying home because he was on that vessel. Said the captain didn't have a lot of experience in those waters and hit a reef, gashing the hull. He also said the replacement vessel ALSO hit it.

 

 

Thank you for this information.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sooner or later we all shall soon hear what the real reason was for cancelling this port.

[Cuizer2]

There is a low tide at around 4pm, on 4/26/16, with the ship scheduled to leave at 5pm, but the low tide is only to right around mean low low water, which is what the charted depths are marked in. I don't have the chart there, so I don't know if there is a bar or not.

 

Dutch Harbor has plenty of bars.

[chengkp75]

Dutch Harbor has plenty of bars.

 

Those bars are only marked on the fishermen's charts. :p

[johbeaker]

Booked on the same trip...could it be issues with US immigration, since this is the first US port? I imagine there aren't alot of agents in Dutch Harbor!

[chengkp75]

Booked on the same trip...could it be issues with US immigration, since this is the first US port? I imagine there aren't alot of agents in Dutch Harbor!

 

Don't think so, they would fly in from Anchorage.

[johbeaker]

The Asian/Australia 2016/2017 itineraries are released, and the Volendam is doing the reverse itinerary in September 2016 and stopping in Dutch Harbor. However the eastbound in April 2017 is again skipping Dutch Harbor...I think it is the lack of US immigration personnel to process a cruise ship, or the fee is too steep to fly them in from Anchorage.

Edited July 16, 2015 by johbeaker

[cruising42JVJ]

Martezz, were you notified of this change in itinerary? If so, by whom? I am on the Apr.16/16 North Pacific Crossing and I haven't heard about this change yet.

 

Thanks!

[Martezz]

I was notified by my on line booking agent. They forwarded me an intinerart change notification from Hal.

[JB&JLG74]

We called in Dutch Harbor last September on the Amsterdam's Grand Pacific and Far East Voyage. There were two shuttle buses to take us around town. They were school buses and were totally inadequate -- long lines are every stop and people waited for multiple buses before getting on a bus. Taxis were also in short supply. Could passengers' onshore experience be a factor?