Sitka Officials Vote to Accept $1M Donation from Norwegian Cruise Line

Sitka City Administrator John Leach told the Sitka assembly that Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is offering the City of Sitka $1 million to ease the economic effects of Alaska’s ongoing cruise suspension, according to APM.

“Before I even asked that question, they were very forthcoming and said that this is a ‘no strings attached, no quid pro quo,’” he said. “And they will have no involvement in the distribution decision that the city decides to make.”

Leach said the company plans to make similar donations to other Alaska communities but did not specify which ones.

The cruise line and its subsidiaries have been sending ships to Sitka for over two decades. It has invested heavily in Southeast Alaska, funding cruise dock expansions in Hoonah and Ketchikan, and recently purchasing 3 acres of Juneau waterfront property where it plans to build a new dock.