Royal Caribbean to Open New Juneau Port After Vote Against Cruise Restrictions

Royal Caribbean Group is opening a new port in Juneau, Alaska, a move it claims will help disperse foot traffic in the city’s downtown as residents continue to debate the cost and benefits of cruise ships. 

The announcement came on October 16, a day after city officials certified the results of a local election that would have imposed some cruise restrictions. Residents voted down the ballot measure, called “Ship-Free Saturdays.”

“The community specifically voiced that downtown traffic was an issue for them. This would be a solution to alleviate one-third of the traffic,” said a Royal Caribbean spokesperson.

But city officials said they were surprised by the announcement. “We were unaware of this plan and are disappointed that they did not bring the city to the table early in the planning process,” said Alexandra Pierce, tourism manager for Juneau.

Royal Caribbean Group signed an agreement with Goldbelt Incorporated to build the port on the backside of Douglas Island, more than 10 miles from downtown. The port is expected to open in 2027. Juneau’s downtown currently has four cruise ship berths. Cruise passengers will take a shuttle from the port to the local attractions.

“We look forward to the prospect of bringing this sustainable, culture-rich cruise terminal to life in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, providing community solutions to local transportation and economic development issues,” said McHugh Pierre, president & CEO of Goldbelt, in a statement.

Royal Caribbean Group waited to make the announcement until after city officials certified the election results on October 15. Between October 1 and 14 city officials had been counting the votes.

“We wanted to wait for the official certification of the Juneau ballot results, which took place on the 15th. Once that happened, we moved forward with the announcement,” said a Royal Caribbean spokesperson.

The Impact of Cruises

In recent years, Juneau residents have expressed frustration with overcrowding and congestion in the downtown area, as well as the impact on the local ecosystem and waters.

Juneau, a city of 32,000 people, had a record 1.65 million visitors last year, up from 1.31 million in 2019, according to the city government. On some days, as many as 20,000 cruise passengers descend on the city.

Juneau is a popular cruise port for Alaska itineraries. Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival — along with Disney, Viking, and other companies — all offer itineraries that include Juneau.

Karla Hart, who led the effort to put the “Ship-Free Saturdays” measure on the ballot, believes the new port will exacerbate overtourism because it will bring in more cruise passengers. She described the traffic alleviation claim as “an excuse to make more money.”

Other Agreements

Royal Caribbean and other companies had previously threatened to sue the city if the ballot measure passed. Royal Caribbean, alongside multiple cruise companies, donated to Protect Juneau’s Future, a coalition of businesses that opposed the measure. The coalition spent over $600,000 to campaign against it. Goldbelt’s Pierre is the chair of Protect Juneau’s Future.

Royal Caribbean expects to continue following the memorandum of understanding agreements it signed with the city to try to manage the growth in cruise tourism. “We are honoring and upholding the MOUs that we have in place with the region,” said the spokesperson.

Under the agreements, the city and the cruise industry capped the number of large cruise ships docking each day at five for this year. Starting next year, the number of daily passengers will be capped at 16,000 from Sunday to Friday and 12,000 on Saturdays.