56 Proceedings Fall 2025 the small passenger vessels operate continuously, sum- mer is the operational high point. Many vessels inspected by other Coast Guard sectors in the winter migrate to Southeast Alaska, adding to the local workload. Marine inspectors, on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are ready to respond to evaluate problems like engine casualties, navigation equipment failures, or hull damage. Though the Coast Guard has the authority to direct unseaworthy vessels to remain at the dock until corrective action is completed, some risks can be mitigated by implementing temporary measures to maintain an equivalent level of safety. Every problem is different, and marine inspectors leverage their broad professional expertise to prioritize passenger and crew safety while working towards solutions that minimize revenue loss for operators whose livelihoods depend on operating every day of the week during the cruise sea- son. Regulatory engagement with industry is personal- ized and responsive. Verifying Cruise Ship Compliance While passengers are on local tours during port calls in Juneau, the cruise ships may be subject to Coast Guard examinations. Though a small number of boutique cruis- ing vessels in the region fly the U.S. flag and sail under Coast Guard Certifications of Inspection, nearly all large cruise ships are registered abroad to countries such as Bermuda, the Bahamas, or the Netherlands, meaning that maritime authorities in those countries have pri- mary responsibility for ensuring that the ships meet national and international safety and security stan- dards. But given the large number of Americans who enjoy cruising, Congress tasked the Coast Guard with performing in-depth compliance verification exams on foreign-flagged cruise ships that embark U.S. passengers in U.S. ports. These daylong exams go above and beyond customary port state control exams that any maritime nation has the authority to perform on foreign merchant ships in their waters. At least twice a year, for the privi- lege of maintaining access to the vast U.S. cruise mar- ket, foreign-flagged cruise ships welcome Coast Guard examiners to test their machinery and navigation equip- ment, check their fire control and lifesaving systems, verify their environmental compliance measures, and evaluate complex fire and abandon ship drills involving the choreographed efforts of hundreds of crewmembers. The Coast Guard’s Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise (CSNCOE) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, coor- dinates the ships’ exam calendar on a national level, and in 2025, Sector Southeast Alaska will perform more cer- tificate of compliance exams than any other Pacific-area sector, despite having one of the smallest inspections staffs in the country. Cruise ship examiners assigned to Southeast Alaska have an opportunity to become true Southeast Alaska’s second-busiest cruise port. At each dock where cruise passengers disembark for a day ashore, both in Ketchikan and throughout Southeast Alaska, Coast Guard facility inspectors routinely verify the integrity of a complex system of security measures designed to prevent terrorism and deter other maritime crimes. Through plan reviews, drills and, unannounced inspections, facility inspectors establish continuous compliance with both U.S. and international maritime port security standards. The regulations are scalable, so that operators of ports in smaller communities can work with the Coast Guard to define security measures appropriate for their ports’ particu lar operational reali- ties. The village of Klawock on Prince of Wales Island, which recently revived a disused logging dock by open- ing it to cruise traffic, is just one example. Coast Guard facility inspectors also investigate occasional breaches of security, seeking ways to further mitigate vulnerabilities while maintaining efficient operations. Monitoring Environmental Compliance As cruise ships continue northward between rain- soaked mountainsides whose innumerable waterfalls feed biologically rich coastal streams that, per U.S. Forest Service assessments, spawn more than a quarter of North America’s Pacific wild salmon catch, the ships remain subject to layered state, national and international air emissions, and wastewater regulations. Among these are federal wastewater requirements unique to Alaska that set effluent standards far more stringent than those of the region’s municipal wastewater treatment facili- ties. Working closely with the Alaska Department of Environmental Compliance, Coast Guard personnel monitor the discharges via a program of periodic, unan- nounced wastewater sampling, issuing warnings and fines when they are warranted. Overseeing Local Tour Boats In 2024, the 642 cruise ship voyages through the region brought approximately 1.7 million passengers to Juneau, which with 32,000 residents, is Southeast Alaska’s largest community and a port-of-call on nearly every regional cruise itinerary. Many of those cruise passengers take day trips on local tour boats that allow more intimate access to whales, waterfalls, and tidewater glaciers. Sector Southeast Alaska’s marine inspectors regularly engage with operators of the region’s 225 U.S.-flagged small passenger vessels to ensure the vessels meet strict federal requirements and remain continuously fit for ser- vice, meaning they’re worthy of a certificate of inspec- tion. Marine inspectors in Juneau, and at detachments in Sitka and Ketchikan, work year-round, conducting drydock examinations in the winter in preparation for busy summer tourism operations. Though a portion of
