New port plans to spotlight the region's rich Tlingit culture and remove nearly one-third of bus traffic from Juneau's most congested roadways, enhancing the overall guest and resident experience
JUNEAU, Alaska, Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Goldbelt Incorporated, the urban Alaska Native, for-profit corporation of Juneau, is partnering with Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) to explore co-developing a new port aimed at strengthening the city's infrastructure while improving traffic congestion downtown and enhancing the local and visitor experience.
Situated on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act land on Douglas Island, the port's preliminary designs have two floating berths overlooking the Chilkat Range. Visitors will be transported from a modern cruise ship to a recreated 1800s Alaska Native Tlingit village, where they will experience Goldbelt shareholders' ancestral history through stories, art, songs, dance, and traditional foods.
Designed to utilize the existing whale-watching tour operations, the project plans for guests to depart directly from West Douglas Island onto whale-watching tours or shuttle boats to Mendenhall Glacier to counter downtown traffic. This route will remove nearly one-third of the bus traffic from Juneau's most impacted roadways, from downtown Franklin Street to the Glacier Highway, enhancing the overall guest and resident experience, while also paying testament to Alaska Native culture.
"Goldbelt has long sought to establish a cruise terminal and destination centered around Tlingit history on the backside of Douglas Island," stated McHugh Pierre, President & CEO of Goldbelt, Inc. "We look forward to the prospect of bringing this sustainable, culture-rich cruise ship terminal to life in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, providing community solutions to local transportation and economic development issues."
With positioning on the backside of Douglas Island, Goldbelt's port plan envisions support for on-site employee housing as well as serving as an economic driver for the second Juneau-Douglas crossing and Douglas Bench Road, which have been city priorities for more than a decade. Conveniently located directly in major shipping routes alongside Steven's Passage, the project blueprint would offer an environmental advantage, reducing time, speed, and fuel requirements for ships sailing north to Skagway or west to the Gulf of Alaska, making it the most ideal stop-over for routing to Sitka or Seward.
"We are thankful to Goldbelt Incorporated and to the Juneau community for the partnership to bring solution-oriented initiatives, such as this port, to life," said Preston Carnahan, AVP West Coast Destinations for Royal Caribbean Group. "We look forward to continuing to support Juneau as the cruise capital of Alaska by offering award-winning guest experiences through responsible destination management."
This is the second project in Juneau where Goldbelt and Royal Caribbean Group have partnered to benefit the community and guest experience. This recent cruise season, the two companies worked together to donate wireless internet equipment that provides public access to high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi, greatly reducing the impact on the residential network.
The agreement between Goldbelt and Royal Caribbean Group has named the Port of Tomorrow as developer alongside integrated design-builder Turnagain Marine. The facility is projected for completion during the 2027 Alaska cruise season.
About Goldbelt
Founded in 1973 and officially incorporated in 1974, Goldbelt Incorporated is the urban corporation that represents the Juneau area. Goldbelt is an Alaska Native Corporation with a deep connection to both our ancestors and our children – we remember the stories and traditions of the past, while working to build a bright future for our shareholders in Southeast Alaska and beyond.
For more information visit Goldbelt.com.
About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is a vacation industry leader with a global fleet of 68 ships across its five brands traveling to approximately 1,000 destinations. With a mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly, Royal Caribbean Group serves millions of guests each year through its portfolio of best-in-class brands, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea; and expanding portfolio of land-based vacation experiences through Perfect Day at CocoCay and Royal Beach Club collection. The company also owns 50% of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. With a rich history of innovating, Royal Caribbean Group continually delivers exciting new products and guest experiences that help shape the future of leisure travel. Learn more at royalcaribbeangroup.com or rclinvestor.com.
For more information on Royal Caribbean Group and its brands, visit royalcaribbeangroup.com.
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SOURCE Goldbelt Inc.
