Busy Alaskan Port May Not Have Internet or Cell Service for Weeks

As the 2024 Alaska cruise season nears its conclusion, one of the most popular ports of call in the region is experiencing a technology crisis. 

At approximately 11:25 a.m. local time on Thursday, August 29, 2024, internet and cell service went out in Sitka, Alaska – and isn’t expected to return for approximately two weeks. 

According to an update from GCI Alaska, the region’s main internet and cell service provider, the outage was caused by a break in a key underwater fiber optic cable located about 30 miles off the coast of Sitka. 

A repair ship has already been sent to the site to fix the damage, but won’t reach the location until around September 6, 2024, and the repairs are expected to take up to a week. 

The last time a major internet outage occurred in Sitka for this reason was in 2013, and it took 12 days to repair the damage. 

In the meantime, local officials in Sitka are creating emergency hotspots in the community, which are being installed using Starlink Internet equipment provided by Tidal Network. 

The hotspots are being assembled on a triage-basis, with the most important community infrastructure, such as hospitals and rescue services, taking priority. Eventually, the goal is to create a community hotspot at the library where residents can come and use the internet as needed. 

While most calls and texting won’t work for the time being, the Sitka Police Department confirmed that emergency services are still available and that residents and visitors can dial 911 from cell phones and landlines. 

The Starlink terminals are being borrowed from a warehouse in Juneau – where Royal Caribbean has partnered with a local corporation to being offering free High-Speed Wi-Fi in the cruise port to cruise guests and locals in the coming weeks. 

How Will the Internet Outage Impact Cruising?

As one of the most popular ports of call for Alaska cruises, Sitka can welcome a maximum of up to three cruise ships per day at the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal at Halibut Point, which is located about five miles north of the city. 

On its busiest days, the port has welcomed upwards of 13,000 guests – exceeding the town’s population of 8,382 locals, leading residents to lobby for cruise ship limits for the 2025 season. Although, the first proposal to do so was recently denied in July of 2024. 

While the internet and cell service outage will not prevent cruise ships from docking at the port, guests may find that their experience is a little different than what they expected.

Read Also: The Best Time to Cruise Alaska: Months to Choose

Most notably, credit card services and ATMs may be slow or unavailable, which will impact visitors who want to shop at local stores or stop for a bite in the port.

Cruise guests should make sure they have enough cash on hand, either by stopping at an ATM in another port or onboard – as most major cruise ships do usually have at least one ATM available to guests. 

As guests may not be able to call or message each other while in port, they should also make plans with their traveling companions about where everyone will be going and pre-determine where and when parties will reunite if they become separated. 

Last but not least, guests should be aware that local tour providers may have been impacted – particularly in regards to communication and scheduling software.

This may be a situation where it’s best to book shore excursions through the cruise line, even if it’s cheaper to book directly with a vendor, to allow the cruise line to work out any kinks caused by the outages on their guests’ behalf.