PORT ANGELES — The welcome mat was out for about 1,050 passengers of the Statendam cruise ship who spread out across Port Angeles to enjoy the shops, art and hospitality on Thursday.
Local businesses profited during the visit of the 745-foot-long Holland America Line vessel, said merchants.
Downtown merchants and the Elwha River Casino benefited from shuttle service to and from the cruise ship, with both reporting significant increases in patronage.
The only hiccup in plans was when a pre-arranged tour through Gray Line Tours for about 40 passengers to Hurricane Ridge was canceled because of concern that the road would be closed. Hurricane Ridge received four inches of snow on Thursday, according to the Olympic National Park.
The ship arrived from Seattle and docked at Terminal No. 1 — where oil tankers are typically seen docked for maintenance and repairs — at 7 a.m. and left for Victoria nine hours later.
The cruise started in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday. The ship will visit Port Alberni on Vancouver Island before returning to Vancouver on Sunday.
“Coastal cruises,” such as this one, occur between the Mexico and Alaska cruise seasons, said Erik Elvejord, Holland America Line spokesman. The Alaska season begins this weekend, he said.
Elvejord said Port Angeles was picked because it is the gateway to Olympic National Park.
After eating breakfast, passengers started to trickle down from the ship around 9 a.m. and were greeted by about 20 representatives of government and commerce who offered brochures, maps, coupons and tours to offer.
Welcoming committee
Joining the welcoming committee was City Council member Don Perry — dressed in a tuxedo with coattails, a top hat and sunglasses — and City Council member Cherie Kidd, dressed in a 1910-era ball gown to reflect the city’s history.
“It just adds excitement, so the passengers remember Port Angeles,” Kidd said.
The hospitality did not go unnoticed, or unappreciated, by the passengers.
“The welcoming — that was so nice,” said Barbara MaLachlan, 83, of Tswasseen, British Columbia, near Vancouver, as she returned to the ship.
“We didn’t get that in Seattle, and I doubt we will get it in Victoria.”
From the terminal, passengers took rented coach buses into downtown or to the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center and Olympic National Park Visitor’s Center, shuttles to the Elwha River Casino and several local tours.
All over downtown, passengers could be seen popping into local businesses and a crafts fair at The Landing mall.
Between 60 percent and 75 percent of the passengers were expected to leave the ship and visit Port Angeles, said Selena Palamides, vessel operations manager.
Lynn Bartholick, Maurices store manager, said the number of customers in the downtown store Thursday had doubled when compared with a typical day.
‘Just amazing’
“This is just amazing,” she said. “We haven’t heard anything negative at all.
“If we could change the weather a little bit so it wasn’t so windy, it would have been 100 percent.”
Bartholick said her customers also commented on the city’s hospitality.
“They loved to see the signs on the doors welcoming them and the effort the town made for them,” she said.
“They say we’ve never seen anything like it. I think that’s pretty darn good.”
Gottschalks store manager Ken Porter said his store, with the draw of 50 percent to 80 percent discounts during its liquidation sale, was as busy as it usually is during the Christmas sales.
“It definitely was a big success for us today,” he said.
Smaller shops also were successful in attracting the passengers.
“The store has been almost full, at times,” said Barbara Gregory, Unique Treasures Mall co-owner.
Kris Cornell, owner of Quilted Strait, said about 40 cruise passengers came to her store, some of whom called her before the trip.
“If you’re an avid quilter, you check it out before you go and check out the neighborhood,” she said.
“That’s what we were seeing.”
By noon, the Waterfront Art Gallery had about 40 passengers walk through its door, but no purchases had been made, said Mary Campbell, gallery marketing committee member.
At the craft fair, which was set up for the arrival of the ship, paintings, lavender products, native drums, jewelry and other goods were for sale on about a dozen tables.
Joni Eades, Elwha River Casino marketing manager, said the casino had full, or nearly full, shuttles running back and forth to the ship all day.
At the casino, Lower Elwha Klallam dancers and singers performed.
“We really wanted to show them a good time,” Eades said.
Arts center
Port Angeles Fine Arts Center Executive Director Jake Seniuk said about 40 passengers visited the arts center.
The tours included a downtown art walk, a trip to Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent through All Points Charters and Tours, a boat trip to the Dungeness Spit through the Water Limousine, a trip to three local wineries through Gray Line Tours and the Heritage Tour put on by Perry.
Josh Crohn, Holland America Line tour operations manager, said the passengers who booked the Gray Line Tours trip to Hurricane Ridge were offered a spot on the wine tour, which involved about 40 passengers.
Perry said he had about 14 passengers on his tour on the history of the city.
“They just flat loved it,” he said.
The last time a cruise ship visited Port Angeles was about two years ago.
Mary Brelsford, Olympic Peninsula Visitor Bureau spokeswoman, said two more cruise-ship visits are expected next year.
Representatives of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Port Angeles Downtown Association and the visitor bureau each called the cruise-ship visit a success for the city.
“People are hoping to have a return trip here,” Brelsford said.
“It did not go unnoticed that the town rallied for this.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
