Whittier Cruise Dock Declared Total Loss After Fire
Crews released the one hundred thirty-seven-foot Klondike Express from the pier to fight the vessel fire away from the dock as the Coast Guard set a five hundred-yard safety zone.
The Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office has classified the dock at Whittier’s Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal as a total loss after a fire tore through the structure on Sept. 14. No injuries were reported; Norwegian Jade moved away safely, while the empty Klondike Express tour boat sustained heavy damage.
The damaged dock is part of an approximately $80 million cruise development that began receiving ships in September 2024 and completed its first full operating season in 2025. The fire forced Norwegian Cruise Line to move an embarkation the same day and organizers to relocate an upcoming U.S. Navy commissioning ceremony.
Fire response continued into Tuesday
The fire was reported shortly before 11 a.m. Monday and was not fully extinguished until about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The 137-foot Klondike Express, a Phillips Cruises & Tours catamaran, was released from the pier so crews could extinguish the vessel fire away from the dock.
The Coast Guard established a 500-yard safety zone around the scene and sent personnel from Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic and Station Valdez. A pollution-response team was also deployed to assess any potential fuel or oil discharge.
The fire’s origin and cause remain undetermined. The state fire marshal is reviewing the terminal plans and investigating because the incident caused major infrastructure damage.
Problems with some hydrants complicated suppression efforts. Responders from Whittier, Anchorage, Girdwood and several Kenai Peninsula communities used water tenders, engines and hoses connected to a functioning hydrant elsewhere in Whittier. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the community’s only road connection, temporarily closed to provide access for emergency crews and reopened Monday afternoon.
“Our operations will continue for the remainder of the season, and we will contact guests directly if any scheduled departures are affected,” said Casey Neumann, managing partner of Phillips Cruises & Tours.
The dock’s future is unclear
Norwegian Cruise Line shifted Norwegian Jade’s embarkation to Whittier Alaska Cruise Ship Terminal 1, about two-thirds of a mile across the water from Chugach Glacier Gateway. The ship was due to begin a seven-night southbound Alaska cruise to Vancouver that day, and the line had not confirmed any change to the itinerary.
Huna Totem Corp. developed Chugach Glacier Gateway in partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings to serve Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The 20-acre site includes a 508-foot floating dock serving two berths and a 30,000-square-foot passenger processing facility.
Huna Totem had not set a repair schedule. “We are still assessing the full extent of the damage to the dock and do not yet have enough information to characterize the overall condition of the facility,” said Chris Da Silva, Huna Totem’s chief marketing and communications officer.
Navy commissioning moves across the bay
The Oct. 3 commissioning of the USS Ted Stevens has been moved from the damaged dock to the Holland America Princess terminal across the bay. Cherie Curry, president of the USS Ted Stevens Commissioning Committee, said organizers arranged the change within hours.
“We just jumped to plan B when I heard about the fire,” Curry said. The post-ceremony reception will remain at the Chugach Glacier Gateway passenger terminal, which Curry said was not damaged.
Organizers are preparing for more than 3,000 attendees. Private vehicles will not be permitted through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel on commissioning day, and ticket holders must travel to Whittier by designated motor coach or Alaska Railroad service.
Royal Princess is scheduled to be the next cruise ship in Whittier on Sept. 24; no change to that call had been announced.
