Cunard Tendering in Ketchikan

[LB_NJ]

Any idea why a tender is needed in Ketchikan?

[techteach]

Rock slide.

[bluemarble]

Here is my understanding of how it works at Ketchikan. Never been there myself, but I studied the schedule closely to follow QE's 2022 Alaska season.

 

Ketchikan has four main cruise ship berths within Ketchikan itself where all the Carnival brand ships dock and two additional berths at Ward Cove a few miles north of the city where the NCL ships dock. This past season, QE docked at either berth 2 or 3 at Ketchikan for all five of her visits there.

 

Here is a webcam capture I took of QE docked at berth 3 on June 11, 2022.

 

 

Here is a webcam capture I took of QE at berth 2 on July 8, 2022. This view shows all four of the main cruise ship berths at Ketchikan. The ship approaching in the distance (Noordam) docked at berth 1 to the left of QE. The other two large cruise ships in this view are Westerdam at berth 3 and Grand Princess at berth 4.

 

 

The situation where a tender is required would be when all four of the main berths are occupied by other ships. That apparently happened (and will happen) during the current 2022 season a few times for Carnival Spirit. For example, the Ketchikan port schedule for June 21, 2022 showed Silver Muse was at berth 1, Nieuw Amsterdan at berth 2, Queen Elizabeth at berth 3, Discovery Princess at berth 4 and Carnival Spirit anchored with tendering to berth 3.

[bluemarble]

12 minutes ago, techteach said:

Rock slide.

 

Is the Ketchikan cruise port having issues with rock slides? I am aware that's a serious issue for the cruise port at Skagway causing the closure of the dock there. I wasn't aware rock slides were impacting the port of Ketchikan as well.

[LB_NJ]

34 minutes ago, bluemarble said:

The situation where a tender is required would be when all four of the main berths are occupied by other ships. That apparently happened (and will happen) during the current 2022 season a few times for Carnival Spirit. For example, the Ketchikan port schedule for June 21, 2022 showed Silver Muse was at berth 1, Nieuw Amsterdan at berth 2, Queen Elizabeth at berth 3, Discovery Princess at berth 4 and Carnival Spirit anchored with tendering to berth 3.

 

It does look like there will be 6 ships at Ketchican when the QE will be there.  Busy little port.

[techteach]

My bad. The issue is in Skagway - you are correct @bluemarble