MORE TOURISTS Not necessarily more revenue

Posted on 09/02/2016 | About Nome, Alaska

Expectations were high when the Crystal Serenity arrived in Nome last weekend with local businesses hoping to capitalize on spending by luxury cruise passengers.The 850 guests taking tours of the town was a quarter of the town’s population, yet the expenditure was disappointing.

Carnival Serenity anchored offshore because the port of Nome was not deep enough to accommodate the ship’s draft. Guests were shuttled by tenders, ensuring there were never more than 250 tourists in the area at once.Businesses describe only seeing a handful of cruise passengers in their stores and restaurants, but realistically passengers would likely not be looking for a meal during their free time, and most walked along Front Street.Nome Discover Tour operations manager Robin Johnson planned for the tours to include the Nome Blueberry Festival, which was scheduled to coincide with the arrival of Serenity.
“We planned it to give the community the opportunity to interact with the cruise guests and offer the guests the chance to meet the locals."Residents and vendors from around Norton Sound region gather to sell crafts and display local culture.Next year Crystal is sending a larger ship, the Crystal Endeavor.