Cruise Ship MS Oceania Regatta is Coming to Eureka!

Eureka, Calif. (KIEM)- Eureka will welcome a cruise ship into its harbor this Wednesday morning. Passengers on board can enjoy Old Town Eureka for the day along with local artisan vendors showcasing their goods that will also be set up in Old Town Clarke Plaza. Many of the businesses located downtown are excited for the ship to arrive.

Owner of Eureka Books, Solomon Everta, says that the cruise ships are good for the city of Eureka and have brought his store business in the past. 

“We always see an influx of customers from those cruise ships, and it kind of gives us an exposure to some folks that we normally wouldn’t see,” said Everta. “People are very interested in our local community and the history of what’s going on. And of course, they see the bookstore and the old historic buildings and they just are fascinated by what Eureka has to offer. So it’s a nice chance to connect with people and share their stories and share our stories with them.”

Another local business owner, Sue Mcintyre, who owns Belle Starr, tells us that she is preparing for the crowd of passengers coming on Wednesday morning. 

“I’m really excited about the cruise ships. We had a good experience with the last cruise ship that came in. We had a number of people come into our store,” said Mcintyre. “We think it’s a great way for people to get sort of like a taste of Eureka and Humboldt County. And perhaps maybe they’re here for a few hours on their cruise ship, but maybe they’ll come back to visit the area again in the future, which is pretty exciting.”

James Lawley, manager at Redwood Retro, thinks that the cruise ships are good for the local economy. 

“If anything, it brings a lot of business and more, I guess, you know, more to the economy here, which we need. So it’s beneficial for everyone, I think, for the cruise ships to come into town.”

The cruise ship is expected to arrive at 8AM on Wednesday led by a boat parade.