Viewpoints
Cruise Ship Tax
By Vic and Judi Vreeland
September 13, 2006
Wednesday
My wife and I were visitors to your wonderful state last year
via an 11 day cruise. After reading about the narrowly passed
cruise tax vote, we have to wonder what scare tactics were employed
to coerce voters to implement yet another tax on visitors to
Alaska. Typically an Alaskan cruise is the most expensive to
begin with and, in our case, airplane trips to Seattle, Washington,
cost as much as the cruise. My wife and I aren't "fat cats."
Both of us work for local governments.
This tax, like many others, will merely be passed on to the cruiser
and would not affect the profits of the cruise line unless the
cruise line cuts back on the number of cruises to Alaska. If
there are a million cruisers to Alaska, surely they are spending
money, as we did, in each port. We understand "things"
are more expensive in Alaska due to the remote locations. Apparently
the present tax, port charges and etc., was not enough to fund
whatever. I suspect cruise lines will be cutting back on their
Alaskan cruises and thus cutting taxes Alaskans will receive
to fund their infrastructure. Perhaps if Alaskan government officials
would utilize Federal dollars collected from us in the rest of
the USA to fund $500 million dollar "bridges to nowhere,"
(I couldn't resist) middle class Alaskan cruisers wouldn't have
to pick up the tab.
We did enjoy our cruise and everyone was cordial, but we now
feel Alaskans have given us the cold shoulder. Of course in a
few years vacationers contemplating an Alaskan cruise won't be
aware of the higher fees but may put off THIS cruise for a later
date - or just not go at all. After all, a typical Caribbean
cruise is hundreds of dollars less than an Alaskan cruise. I
know it is going to be $100 tougher for us to come back. Perhaps
the underlying reason for the tax is to lower the number of visitors
to Alaska. Now that would make sense.
Cheers
Vic and Judi Vreeland
Cedar Creek, TX - USA
About: Visitors to Alaska.
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on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
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