Giant cruise ship makes historic voyage in Arctic!

To whom it my concern:

Well folks, the first giant cruise ship, with over 1700 passengers, has made its initial transit of the North West passage!

 

The successful voyage of a mammoth cruise ship through the Northwest Passage has left Arctic officials, industry leaders and local people considering new regulations to govern future transits.

The Nunavut government is already considering rules to reduce the community impact of giant ships such as the Crystal Serenity, which docked in New York Friday with 1,700 passengers and crew.

"The (territory) is considering new marine tourism regulations that would mitigate some of the impacts of larger ships like the Crystal Serenity," said Bernie MacIsaac of Nunavut's Department of Economic Development.

The new rules would limit the number of passengers that would visit a community at any one time. The regulations would also require cruise operators to distribute guidelines to their clients and require the companies to detail the economic benefits they generate.

Nobody wants the cruise ships to stop. But controls on shore landings would be welcomed by people like Vicki Aitoak, who managed Cambridge Bay's response to the Crystal Serenity's visit.

Aitoak said the Serenity's visit went well and left about $110,000 in the community -- a significant boost for a town of 1,500.

But the cruise ship season is short and towns will see a lot of them. The Serenity pulled in the day after another ship pulled out.

"A size limit and a number should be included," Aitoak said. "We cannot do a 1,000-passenger ship for three days in a row."

"Locals burn out," she said. "There's only so many hours per day that we're capable of doing a tribal drum dance!"

 http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/northerners-consider-new-cruise-ship-rules-after-giant-vessel-s-voyage-1.3077339