PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles is dusting off the red carpet to welcome cruise ship passengers when the ms Zuiderdam docks at Terminal 1 on Friday.
The ship, which has a passenger capacity of 2,272, is expected to dock at noon and depart at 11 p.m.
The visit to Port Angeles is the second this spring by a Holland America cruise line vessel.
As in past cruise ship stops, the tourists Friday will be greeted at the terminal adjacent to Westport Shipyards by volunteers who will direct them to shuttles for shopping and cultural tours.
Holland Cruise representatives will be greeted by a representative of the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, who will grant ceremonial permission for the crew and passengers to disembark, said Mary Brelsford, communications manager for the Olympic Peninsula Visitors Bureau.
Klallam dancers will then perform a welcoming ceremony, Brelsford said.
Many Port Angeles downtown businesses will offer extended hours to welcome the hundreds of visitors that will come in on the ship, said Barb Frederick, executive director of the Port Angeles Downtown Association.
The visit is part of the ship’s relocation from its Caribbean winter cruise schedule, to Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, for its summer schedule of cruises to British Columbia and Alaska, Holland America representatives said.
It began its trip in San Diego.
A full complement of passengers is expected when it pulls into Port Angeles, Brelsford said.
When the Zuiderdam’s sister ship, the 1,800-passenger ms Oosterdam, visited Port Angeles on April 18, about 1,000 passengers came ashore, she said.
A number of activities will be offered for visitors.
April’s inaugural Pub Crawl map, introduced for the first time for the Oosterdam, was one of the most popular events during the ship’s visit, and will be repeated Friday, she said.
Shopping shuttles will begin transporting passengers at 12:30 p.m. from the port’s docks to the Conrad Dyar Memorial Fountain at Laurel and First streets, The Gateway transit center, and the Port Angeles Visitor’s Center at 121 E. Railroad Ave.
The Port Angeles Downtown Association will decorate downtown with balloons, and many businesses will have signs welcoming the cruise ship passengers, Frederick said.
The Gateway transit center’s public square will host vendors and live music by Charlie Ferris and Sarah Shea, Brelsford said.
Special Gateway presentations will include a representative of the Olympic National Park speaking about what the park has to offer, and a shuttle will take visitors to the park’s visitor center at 3002 Mount Angeles Road in Port Angeles.
On nearby City Pier, the Arthur D. Feiro Marine Life Center will be open from noon until 8 p.m.
The Lower Elwha will operate a shuttle from the dock to its casino west of Port Angeles, Brelsford said.
The Heritage Center at 401 E. First St., will offer tours of the art gallery, and a continuous slide show of the history, culture and traditions of the Elwha Klallam people.
The cruise line has scheduled several excursions so that passengers can visit Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent and Marymere Falls or take a tasting tour of North Olympic Peninsula wineries.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
