PORT ANGELES — The city’s tourism and civic sectors are preparing to roll out the proverbial red carpet for an estimated 1,200 passengers expected to arrive Thursday morning aboard Holland America’s cruise ship MS Zaandam.
“Many businesses will open at 8 a.m., said Arla Holzschuh, executive director of the Port Angeles Downtown Association.
“The cruise ship came here at our request, so we’re opening early to welcome them and thank them for coming here.”
The 780-foot-long, 10-deck-high Zaandam was chartered by Cruise Plus Management Ltd. for a three-day cruise starting today in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The luxury ship will travel through the San Juan Islands and Georgia Strait, then is scheduled to arrive in Port Angeles Harbor late Wednesday night.
It will dock at 7 a.m. Thursday at the Port of Port Angeles T-pier near the foot of Cedar Street.
Passengers will disembark about 7:30 a.m. and spend six hours visiting the downtown or taking chartered buses to Hurricane Ridge and Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park.
They are scheduled to reboard at 1:30 p.m. for a 2 p.m. departure.
The ship will travel north through Johnstone Strait to Alert Bay on Vancouver Island’s northeast coast.
Zaandam’s whirlwind cruise ends back in Vancouver on Friday.
When the passengers walk off the ship, they will be greeted by representatives of the Port Angeles Downtown Association, Port Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Port of Port Angeles, North Olympic Peninsula Visitors and Convention Bureau and the city’s Waterfront Ambassadors.
Clallam Transit shuttles will leave every 15 minutes to take the visitors downtown.
