Key Aspects:
- A fire was reported at the dock of the Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal in Whittier, Alaska, at approximately 11 a.m. on Monday, September 14, 2026.
- The blaze, which started on a local tour boat, caused Norwegian Jade to move away from the dock, but no damage was reported to the cruise ship.
- In order for emergency responders to access Whittier more efficiently, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was closed for several hours but reopened near 2 p.m.
The double-sided dock at the Chugach Glacier Gateway Cruise Terminal in Whittier, Alaska, has been impacted by a fire while local units from Girdwood Fire and Rescue fought the blaze and a multi-agency response.
According to local news station KTUU, the tour boat Klondike Express was alongside the dock when the fire broke out on the morning of Monday, September 14, 2026. Klondike Express is operated by Phillips Cruises & Tours and offers day cruises from Whittier exploring 120 miles through Prince William Sound.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Western Alaska & U.S. Arctic noted that the tour boat was moored at the time with no passengers aboard. The boat was released from the pier to move it away from the dock, and the fire was extinguished. However, the vessel has received some fire damage, as confirmed in Coast Guard images further below.
Norwegian Jade was also at the dock at the time of the fire and moved safely away. No damage was reported to the cruise ship. Girdwood Fire and Rescue confirmed no injuries were reported and that the cruise ship was not impacted.
The fire department responded to assist with battling the blaze just before 11 a.m., along with units from Whittier Fire, Anchorage Fire, and LifeMed Alaska.
Video shared by Girdwood Fire and Rescue on Facebook shows black smoke billowing near the pier as the 2,402-guest Norwegian Jade slowly moves away from the structure. A small portion of Klondike Express‘s hull can be seen moving away from the far side of the dock, though the rest of the boat is obscured by the thick smoke.
In order for first responders to reach Whittier as quickly as possible, the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was closed for several hours. Girdwood Fire and Rescue and the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities posted an update just before 2 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET) that the tunnel had reopened.
No cause of the fire has yet been announced by any official agency. It is unknown how the fire may impact cruise operations in Whittier in the next few days.
Following Norwegian Jade‘s time in Whittier on Monday, no cruise ships are scheduled for the port until Royal Princess arrives on Thursday, September 24. Cruise Hive reported earlier that Royal Princess now has engine problems and has adjusted her current itinerary, but there are no changes yet to the September 19, 2026 departure that will bring the ship to Whittier.
Is Norwegian Jade Impacted by the Fire?
Norwegian Jade is scheduled to begin a 7-night one-way southbound Alaska cruise from Whittier on Monday, September 14, 2026 with scenic cruising near Hubbard Glacier followed by calls to Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan before arriving in Vancouver on Monday, September 21.
The September 14 departure is the ship’s last southbound sailing of the Alaska season. She will leave from Vancouver on September 21 for one more pass through Alaska on her way to Japan to spend winter sailing in Asia.
Cruise Hive reached out to Norwegian Cruise Line for more details and received the following statement:
“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 on West Camp Road, roughly two-thirds of a mile from the Glacier Creek Terminal across the water.
The cruise line goes on to note that there is not yet any confirmation of an impact to Norwegian Jade‘s itinerary, but any further updates would be communicated to guests directly.
Fires are a dangerous threat to cruise ships, but small incidents do happen. Cruise Hive just reported on a small fire onboard the upcoming Norwegian Aura on September 7, 2026, while the ship is under construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy. No injuries or significant damage were reported from that fire.
