Norwegian Cruise Line moved embarkation for Norwegian Jade to an alternative terminal in Whittier, Alaska, after a fire involving a tour boat prompted the cruise ship to leave the Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal on 14th September 2026.
The fire broke out at around 11am local time while Klondike Express, operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours, was moored at the dock. The US Coast Guard said there were no passengers aboard the tour vessel at the time.
Norwegian Jade was also alongside when the incident began and moved safely away from the terminal. No damage to the 2,402-guest cruise ship was reported, while authorities said there were no injuries.
Emergency crews released Klondike Express from the pier so that the vessel could be moved away from the dock. The fire was subsequently extinguished, although images released by the Coast Guard showed fire damage to the tour boat.
Klondike Express operates sightseeing cruises from Whittier into Prince William Sound.
Multi-Agency Response To Whittier Fire
Girdwood Fire and Rescue joined Whittier Fire, Anchorage Fire and LifeMed Alaska in responding to the incident.
Footage released by Girdwood Fire and Rescue showed thick black smoke rising from the dock as Norwegian Jade moved away from the terminal. Klondike Express could also be seen being moved from the opposite side of the structure.
Access to Whittier was temporarily restricted during the emergency response. The Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the road connection used to reach the community, was closed for several hours to help emergency personnel access the area.
Girdwood Fire and Rescue and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced shortly before 2pm local time that the tunnel had reopened.
Officials had not announced the cause of the fire by 15th September.
The incident also required Norwegian Cruise Line to change where passengers boarded Norwegian Jade for the ship’s 14th September departure.
Norwegian Cruise Line said:
“The safety and security of our guests, crew and the communities we visit are always a top priority. We are aware of a fire at the Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal in Whittier, Alaska where one of our ships was scheduled to have guests embark from. As emergency personnel continue to respond to the situation, access to the area remains restricted. As a result, we will proceed with our embarkation process from an alternate location, Whittier Alaska Cruise Ship Terminal 1.”
Cruise Ship Terminal 1 is located on West Camp Road, approximately two-thirds of a mile from the affected terminal across the water.
At the time of the cruise line’s statement, there was no confirmed impact on Norwegian Jade’s wider itinerary. Norwegian Cruise Line said any further changes would be communicated directly to passengers.
Norwegian Jade Continues Final Alaska Sailings
The affected departure was the final southbound Alaska sailing of Norwegian Jade’s 2026 season.
The seven-night one-way itinerary was due to take the ship from Whittier to Vancouver, with scenic cruising near Hubbard Glacier and calls at Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan before reaching Vancouver on 21st September.
Norwegian Jade is then scheduled to depart Vancouver on 21st September for another journey through Alaska as the ship heads towards Japan for its winter programme in Asia.
The next cruise ship scheduled to visit Whittier after Norwegian Jade is Royal Princess on 24th September. Royal Princess has experienced engine problems during its current voyage, resulting in itinerary adjustments, but as of 15th September there had been no announced change to the ship’s 19th September departure that is scheduled to include Whittier.
The Whittier incident came one week after a separate small fire involving another Norwegian Cruise Line ship. A fire was reported aboard Norwegian Aura on 7th September while the vessel was under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. No injuries or significant damage were reported in that incident.
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