Anchorage welcomes its first cruise ship of the season

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The Holland America cruise ship MS Maasdam comes into the Port of Anchorage on Monday, May 30, 2016. The Maasdam is the first cruise ship to visit Anchorage this year, and will make a total of 9 visits this summer. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News)

Anchorage's first cruise ship of the year docked at the city's port on Memorial Day, dropping off over a thousand visitors to kick off the summer tourist season.

The Holland America cruise ship MS Maasdam, 722 feet long and capable of carrying around 1,260 passengers in addition to 580 crew members, deftly maneuvered into place at the dock without the need for a tug escort.

"It's kind of neat," said Steve Ribuffo, director of the Port of Anchorage. "We don't make a lot of money off of them but we appreciate that they are here for 18 hours, so we know they'll spend a lot of money in town."

This is the first of nine visits to Anchorage planned for the Maasdam this season.