Andrea Zelinski
Ray Charles may have had Georgia on his mind, but I have Alaska on mine.
First, it was for its record-breaking cruise season in 2023; and this year there were no signs that demand is abating.
Then, in light of Juneau's uber-popularity, which grew faster than local officials and locals were ready for, the city struck a deal with cruise lines to slow growth down. The first deal was for a five-ship cap in the city this year. In 2026, it will place a limit of 16,000 lower berths daily and 12,000 on Saturdays.
Just before the Labor Day holiday, there was more news for Juneau residents and cruisers alike. Royal Caribbean Group said it would be providing free, local access to Starlink internet in Juneau, a reaction to complaints from residents that service can be spotty when as many as 21,000 cruise ship passengers are in town.
I imagine cruisers will appreciate this, as they'd like to use the Internet, make calls or upload photos and videos to social accounts while on vacation. Locally, if the program is successful, it could give Juneau residents one less reason to be frustrated when cruisers spread throughout their town.
That's important, because voters in Juneau are poised to vote Oct. 1 on a proposal for "ship-free Saturdays" and a ship-free July 4. The public referendum, Proposition 2 in the municipal election, says that the cruise season includes 142 straight days of cruise visitors in a nearly 200-day stretch. In our modern, connected world, that's a lot of days to struggle with internet access during the day while in downtown, and it's easy to look at the cruise ships and point the finger at them.
The Starlink initiative is part of a pilot program in partnership with Alaska Native corporation Goldbelt Incorporated. It will require users to log in at a participating business in downtown Juneau, which I imagine business owners will appreciate because it draws more customers in. The service should be fully available in a few weeks, Royal said.
There aren't a lot of specific details yet about how the program would work, but Royal said the access points and the networking will be designed to allow users to move from one location to another while remaining connected, which is kind of like being on a ship, with its hidden access points throughout.
Other port cities could benefit from this, too, as Juneau isn't the only one to feel the impact on internet when passenger volume is high. Sitka also experiences that internet frustration. Royal said if the pilot works out, this could be replicated in other destinations.
That's one way to build good will among residents who are debating the role they want cruise lines to play in their towns.