Princess Cruises has changed one of its US ports of call in Virginia this summer after concerns were raised about it arriving in historic Yorktown.
The 2,200-passenger Island Princess had been due to drop anchor in York River and tender passengers into the town (pictured), which has a population of just 258.
However, a petition titled ‘Stop mega-cruises ships in Yorktown’ launched last July was signed by more than 7,500 people. It claimed the ‘character of Yorktown, the home to the final victorious battle of the American Revolution, would be changed forever if massive – over 3 football fields long – ocean-class cruise ships are allowed to come to this small river community’.
The petition went on to say: “Tourism has always been a part of Yorktown and smaller, appropriately-sized, cruise ships visit Yorktown regularly – it is the scale of these massive ships that is inappropriate. The height of one of the smallest Princess ships is more than twice the height of the Coleman Bridge roadway at its peak.”
Princess has now moved the three calls to the bigger cruise port of Norfolk, which is 45 minutes away. Yorktown acts as a gateway to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, and passengers will still have excursions to these sites from Norfolk.
The cruse line didn’t confirm the reason for the move, but shared this statement with Travel Gossip: “To ensure our guests experience legendary Virginian hospitality as they explore the region’s significant historical contributions to American history, Princess is confirming Norfolk on the published itinerary for Island Princess and its three new calls to the Commonwealth this summer.”
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The 2,200-passenger Island Princess had been due to drop anchor in York River and tender passengers into the town (pictured), which has a population of just 258.
However, a petition titled ‘Stop mega-cruises ships in Yorktown’ launched last July was signed by more than 7,500 people. It claimed the ‘character of Yorktown, the home to the final victorious battle of the American Revolution, would be changed forever if massive – over 3 football fields long – ocean-class cruise ships are allowed to come to this small river community’.
The petition went on to say: “Tourism has always been a part of Yorktown and smaller, appropriately-sized, cruise ships visit Yorktown regularly – it is the scale of these massive ships that is inappropriate. The height of one of the smallest Princess ships is more than twice the height of the Coleman Bridge roadway at its peak.”
Princess has now moved the three calls to the bigger cruise port of Norfolk, which is 45 minutes away. Yorktown acts as a gateway to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, and passengers will still have excursions to these sites from Norfolk.
The cruse line didn’t confirm the reason for the move, but shared this statement with Travel Gossip: “To ensure our guests experience legendary Virginian hospitality as they explore the region’s significant historical contributions to American history, Princess is confirming Norfolk on the published itinerary for Island Princess and its three new calls to the Commonwealth this summer.”
The post Princess Cruises switches US port of call after locals tell it to stay away appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
