The City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska and major cruise lines have agreed to limit cruise ship visits to no more than five large vessels in port per day.
This arrangement is through a Memorandum of Agreement and comes just as the 2023 Alaska season is getting underway, but will not impact ship visits this year.
Juneau to Limit Cruise Ship Visits
Juneau and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) have reached a Memorandum of Agreement to limit the number of large vessels in the city to no more than five per day, starting with the 2024 cruise season.
The announcement comes as the first large ship of the year, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss, opened the cruise season in Juneau with her arrival on Monday, April 17, 2023, spending 10 hours in port. The ship will be back many times throughout the season.
The agreement – which is signed in good faith both by CLIA on behalf of its 40+ member cruise lines as well as the city of Juneau – is intended to be a positive arrangement both for the cruise lines as well as for the local community and the regional tourism industry.
“This agreement provides our community with the assurance we need to plan for the future,” said Alexandra Pierce, Tourism Manager at the City and Borough of Juneau.
“The visitor industry is vital to our local economy and it’s essential we preserve the things that make Juneau an incredible place to live and to visit. We hope to have a thriving tourism economy for many years to come.”
Permitting up to five large ships per day will certainly be a boon to that tourism economy, particularly as cruise ship capacities continue to rise with newer vessels.
Some of the largest vessels that will visit Juneau in 2023 include Norwegian Bliss (4,002 guests at double occupancy), Princess Cruises’ Majestic Princess (3,560), Holland America Line’s Koningsdam (2,650), and Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas (4,905) and Ovation of the Seas (4,905).
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Because cruise line schedules are set a year or more in advance, this new memorandum does not impact this cruise season, but will be taken into consideration as schedules continue to be drafted and refined for 2024, 2025, and beyond.
Working Together is Good for All
By working together, the cruise lines and the city of Juneau hope to promote collaboration and understanding between two parties who each have the region’s best interest in mind.
“Our work on this MOA recognizes the importance of cooperation, collaboration, and communication made possible by Juneau’s leadership. They continually keep the wishes of the community at the forefront of the conversation, while ensuring the cruise industry is still able to deliver a world-class visitor experience in Alaska’s capital city,” said Renée Limoge Reeve, Vice President of Government and Community Relations at CLIA.
“Destination stewardship remains one of our highest priorities.” That stewardship ensures pristine natural habitats, the promotion of local artisans, preservation of native history, and much more, all of which keeps Alaska as a unique and highly desirable destination for travelers.
