YORKTOWN, Va. — Princess Cruise Lines was the focus of an informational meeting in Yorktown Monday night.
In February, the cruise line announced that they were making Yorktown a stop in 2024.
At the session Monday, a Princess representative said the Island Princess will stop in Yorktown three times in 2024. They also mentioned the possibility of stopping five times in 2025.
The ship will anchor in the York River and ferry people to shore.
Williamsburg, James City County, Yorktown
A town divided: Princess cruises to stop in Yorktown in 2024
The Island Princess can hold 2,200 passengers. By comparison, Yorktown has a population of just a few hundred.
Before the meeting Monday, a group protested against the cruises coming to Yorktown.
“We don’t feel that the scale of the ship is appropriate for Yorktown, we aren’t anti tourist, we aren’t anti cruise ships,” said concerned citizen Alyssa Adams. “I don’t know how much money will be made, but we don’t feel like it’s worth the investment in infrastructure and the wear and tear on the roads and the community.”
Tyler Price owns Gangsta Dog in Yorktown. He told News 3 he is looking forward to the days the Island Princess will come to town.
A Princess representative estimated 750 people will be walking around town, another 750 will do tours around the Historic Triangle, and the rest of the passengers will stay on the ship.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the influx of people, more people coming around and these cruise ship members will have dogs back home they’ll get souvenirs for,” said Price. "I think it’ll benefit just about every business around and the entire triangle."
The cruise ships will be coming from Boston and New York City. The dates of the stop have not yet been released.
