Juneau, Alaska To Vote on Cruise Ship-Free Saturdays

Alaskan capital, Juneau, has long been clamoring for fewer cruise ships and passengers. On October 1, the decision to introduce tighter restrictions on cruise lines one day a week will be put to a vote. 

cruise ship in juneau, alaska
(Photo courtesy of the City and Borough of Juneau)

If it is voted into law, vessels carrying 250 passengers and more will be prohibited from docking every Saturday and on the fourth of July when the city hosts its annual parade. 

The new policy was approved for voting this week and will be on the ballot unless Juneau’s Assembly implements a comparable measure by August 15. However, according to the Associated Press, this is unlikely.

Referred to as “ship-free Saturdays,” the initiative is geared towards restoring the quality of life for residents like Karla Hart. “I know what Juneau used to be, and I know what it could be, and it isn’t now, and so I’m fighting to bring some of that back,” she told local news publication Alaska Beacon.

“Ship-free Saturdays is a way to just give everybody in Juneau one day a week without the blanket of impacts on our lives. And to me, I believe that if we all have that one day a week without all of the chaos that comes with the cruise industry, that we’ll all be happier and healthier,” she concluded.

Hart, who spearheaded the initiative, amassed over 2,300 signatures from local citizens.

Already Approved: 12,000 and 16,000 Daily Limits

juneau alaska street
Juneau, Alaska (Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises)

Ship-free Saturdays isn’t the only proposal that cruise operators will have to deal with. Last month, the city agreed to introduce passenger limits with the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Beginning in 2026, Juneau will impose a 16,000 daily maximum on lower berths (the number of passenger beds on a vessel) and a lower threshold of 12,000 on Saturdays. 

The signed agreement also includes provisions for annual meetings, allowing the city to continuously evaluate passenger volumes, cruise ship schedules, and community goals.

In 2023, Juneau’s annual visitors increased 33% from 1.2 million in 2022 to 1.6 million in 2023. During the peak season, the city has been known to host over 21,000 cruise ship visitors in one day.

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