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            The first two cruise ships of the season have come and gone from Kodiak, but there are another dozen scheduled between now and mid September. Next year though, the first two cruise ships of the year could be the only two cruise ships of the year. That's because, as visitor's bureau Executive Director Janet Buckingham explains, Holland America Lines is changing its schedule.

-- (Holland 1               23 sec              "They're not leaving Alaska ... in the seven-day itinerary.")

            Buckingham found out about the change from colleagues in Anchorage, and has since found an announcement by Holland America from December - an announcement she says was not shared with anyone in Kodiak.

            Holland America will bring the ship Amsterdam here eight times this summer, and it visited nine times in each of the two prior years. That represents a loss of over 10,000 potential visitors to Kodiak per summer.

-- (Holland 2               16 sec              "Even though we are not a ... slice it, it's a blow.")

            She said with the increase in cruise ship visits in recent years, some companies in town have modified their business models to accommodate the influx of visitors:

-- (Holland 3               30 sec              "I know a lot of people have come ... to see that ship disappear.")

            At this point, there are only two cruise ships that will be visiting Kodiak this year, though Buckingham says that could change:

-- (Holland 4               24 sec              "It's certainly early in the year ... in the season next year.")

            Buckingham said she has not yet been able to contact anyone with Holland America Lines about the change. She says since the announcement actually came in December, she can say it's not about a proposed change in moorage rates for cruise ships that is before the Kodiak City Council.

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