Visits Port of Nome before voyage through Northwest Passage.
Observation: The Crystal Serenity is the largest cruise ship to ever visit Nome. It carries over 1,000 passengers and crew, and will be traversing the Northwest Passage during the coming month. This the first cruise ship to ply the waters of the Northwest Passage.
LEO says: The sight of the first large cruise ship to ever pass through (or attempt) the Northwest Passage (Alaska to New York), is certainly an unusual and historic event, and it must have been pretty amazing for people in Nome and other communities to see a ship of this size. The passage of the Crystal Serenity has raised a lot of questions about the future risks and benefits of ship traffic as the sea ice declines. With more traffic from ships large and small, local observers can play a role in helping to identify potential environmental risks or problems.
ANTHC Community Environment and Health Consult: Emergency Preparedness Program Manager Ted Smith writes, "As an emergency manager we are concerned about the risks associated with Arctic shipping and we prepare for potential disasters. With the United States currently chairing the Arctic Council, and the Crystal Serenity historic cruise on the horizon, an exercise called “Arctic Chinook” was commissioned to test Alaska’s’ ability to support emergency rescue operations in the Bering Strait region. The planning for this exercise was a year in the making and was conducted while the Crystal Serenity was cruising through the Bering Strait.
The “Arctic Chinook” exercise simulated an Adventure Class cruise ship experiencing a catastrophic fire while in the Bering Strait. Based on this exercise scenario, 26 of the 250 people on board had injuries of varying degrees and needed medical attention. The other 200 plus passengers needed to get to land and then be transported back to their home. The volunteers playing injured passengers, were treated in Kotzebue and those playing uninjured passengers were supported by Nome. Both communities did an outstanding job in the exercise and many lessons were learned.
As you can imagine many other response agencies participated: State of Alaska both DHS&EM and DHSS, Coast Guard, Air National Guard, Army National Guard and Canadian military forces. We also had over 80 observers from local government, State Government, Federal Government and many Arctic countries including Russia, Finland and Denmark. We learned a lot about coordinating with our other response agencies and that is a step forward.
Media: See article, Crystal Serenity Cruises on amid environmental concerns, by Lauren Fost / KNOM – The Crystal Serenity cruise ship is making a 32-day voyage from Anchorage to New York City. With around 1,000 passengers aboard, it is the largest vessel ever to travel the Northwest Passage. Meanwhile, the potential environmental impact of a journey of that scope has some worried. Austin Ahmasuk refers to the Crystal Serenity as “a floating city.” It certainly contains enough people, and produces enough waste. Ahmasuk is a marine advocate at the Kawerak regional non-profit corporation, and he is nervous about what happens when a floating city moves through a delicate region like the Arctic. Alaska Native communities rely on fish and marine mammals for subsistence. Ahmasuk worries that cruise ships could damage the ecosystem and threaten that subsistence lifestyle. source: KTVA 11 Alaska (2016-08-29)
Observations From Members 