Cruise Ship Operators Shore Up Communities

“As Juneau’s Alaska Native Corporation, Goldbelt takes community feedback seriously. The number one complaint from this summer was a slow-down of internet speed during busy days downtown,” says McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated. “We are excited to collaborate with Royal Caribbean Group to explore a solution and add satellite internet capacity to town. This project will help locals and visitors have a better internet experience every day of the week.”

Royal Caribbean was the first in the cruise industry to adopt Starlink, the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, in 2022. The company is deploying Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet for residents of Juneau while also enhancing the digital experience for vacationers. Access points and networking provided by Peplink will help maximize coverage and improve accessibility, with users seamlessly moving from location to location while remaining connected.

Royal Caribbean says the pilot program will be monitored closely to assess its impact and effectiveness. Feedback from local businesses and their patrons will be used to refine and potentially expand the initiative to other destinations in the future.

Boosting the Seafood Industry

Meanwhile, Carnival Corporation is taking a two-pronged approach toward mitigating the seafood market’s downturn through land and sea operations for Holland America Line and Princess Cruises.

Most of the company’s shoreside restaurants, dining venues, and employee menus in Alaska are stocked with fresh, locally sourced seafood. Salmon, halibut, Alaska cod, rockfish, scallops, Dungeness crab, Bairdi crab, salmon roe, and oysters are served in twenty locations throughout the state. Holland America and Princess serve more than 230,000 pounds of seafood each summer in hotels and aboard ships.

“We’re committed to sourcing locally, whenever possible, offering our guests the best of Alaska’s seafood,” says Marc Ducharme, the company’s vice president of hotel operations for Alaska and the Yukon. “Prioritizing sustainable fishing is not just the right thing to do, it’s a key part of our mission to promote Alaska’s amazing seafood offerings. Many of our land-based food and beverage venues have earned Marine Stewardship Council certification for sustainably sourced fish.”

The second part of Carnival Corporation’s effort involves a strong relationship with ASMI, the marketing arm for the Alaska seafood industry. ASMI, fresh off a $4 million grant from the US Department of Agriculture, has a long-established and extensive collaboration with Holland America/Princess land operations in Alaska. The partnership focuses on several key initiatives:

“ASMI and Carnival Corporation share a steadfast commitment to sustainability, and we are honored to continue to grow our robust partnership,” says Megan Rider, ASMI’s domestic marketing director. “Their dedication to showcasing Alaska’s wild, abundant seafood aboard their ships is inspiring, and we are thrilled to help showcase this state’s treasures to their guests.”

Options on Land and at Sea

Holland America is the only cruise line to earn the distinguished Responsible Fisheries Management certification, the benchmark for serving only fresh, certified sustainable and traceable wild Alaska seafood on board all ships sailing the Alaska coast. All fish served on its six Alaska ships meets this rigorous standard. This includes forty-two different Alaska seafood dishes available for dinner in the Dining Room, such as seared Alaska rockfish, roasted Alaska salmon, and pan-fried Dover sole.

Princess ships sailing in Alaska feature an extensive menu rotation of Alaska seafood dishes, including thirty distinctive dishes with featured items every night in all main dining rooms. Recipes highlight the freshest seafood ingredients with multiple varieties of Alaska salmon, including king, sockeye and coho, as well as wild Alaska cod (caught by hook and line only), halibut, rockfish, Dungeness crabs, wild spot prawns and razor clams.

Ashore, Holland America and Princess Cruises offer guests various options to enjoy fresh, local seafood across their extensive land operations in Alaska. Princess has five lodges in Alaska, each with a unique style, and each offering various options for sampling locally sourced seafood. Holland America operates three hotels in Alaska, each with restaurants featuring Alaska seafood.