The cruise ship Alaska season is generally May 15th to Sept 15th. Many people have asked us how many seafarers come to the mission during this summer period. We have attempted to gather some meaningful statistics, but counting the people who come is an art, so we estimate as best we can. The mission operates with volunteer staff, as you can see below averaging between 6 and 9 people per day.
2008: The number of visitors for the four Princess ships in Whittier increased from 2425 to 2885 - a 16% increase, and this after the 30% leap last year. This trend is due to the increase in the numbers of crew coming to use their laptops. After the Carnival Spirit's numbers had jumped from 305 to 490 in 2007, the total this year was 440, a 10% decrease. The total number of visitors to the Seward Mission this year is 2625 - a decrease of 900 from last year. The total number of visitors to the Whittier mission this year is 3325 - an increase of 60 from last year.
Total number of ship visits in Seward: 62
Total number of ship visits in Whittier: 43
Average number of crew visits per ship in Seward: 42.33
Average number of crew visits per ship in Whittier: 77.32
After a number of years of stability, the number of visitors from RCCL/Celebrity and Holland America ships in Seward decreased by 20% to 60% this year. Every indication is that was due to increased work hours for the crew in those companies. It should also be noted that there are at least 3 internet cafes in Seward, and the crew can use their laptops in the terminal in Seward also.
| 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| actual number of ship visits after accidents, bad weather, etc | 95 | 88 | 108 | 95 | 98 | 95 | 111 | 96 | 108 | 108 |
| number of days in the summer with one or more cruise ships | 93 | 85 | 91 | 89 | 87 | 85 | 100 | 96 | 98 | 97 |
| total number of seafarers from the cruise ships | 6467 | 6760 | 6250 | 5875 | 6445 | 5315 | 5220 | 4800 | 6790 | 5975 |
| total number of volunteer-days when ships are in | 699 | 591 | 601 | 617 | 670 | 761 | 765 | 711 | 756 | 834 |
| average number of seafarers per day | 70.2 | 79.5 | 68.6 | 66.0 | 74.0 | 62.5 | 52.2 | 50 | 69.2 | 61.6 |
| average number of volunteers per day | 7.50 | 6.95 | 6.6 | 6.93 | 7.70 | 8.95 | 7.65 | 7.40 | 7.71 | 8.6 |
| average number of seafarers per volunteer | 9.36 | 11.43 | 10.39 | 9.52 | 9.61 | 6.98 | 6.82 | 6.75 | 8.98 | 7.16 |
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