A proposal in Juneau, Alaska to designate Saturday as a “boat-free day” has been defeated in a public vote. The final results of the recent vote are in, with around 60% voting against it.
Of the 28,113 eligible residents, 10,880 voted, with only 4,196 supporting Saturday’s restrictions on cruise ships.
Other cruise restrictions in effect
this Free cruise on Saturday The proposal is just one measure the city has discussed or implemented to limit the negative impacts of cruise tourism.
Juneau has agreed to a limit of five cruise ships per day and has struck deals with major cruise lines to cap daily cruise ship passengers at 16,000 starting in 2026. The cap on Saturday is 12,000.
Juneau has a permanent population of less than 30,000 people, but hosts as many as 20,000 cruise ship guests on its busiest days. In 2023, the amount received exceeded 1.6 million.
For some residents who voted against boatless Saturdays, the measure did not adequately balance the needs of residents and business owners who rely on cruise tourism.
Read more: See Alaska’s Sawyer Glacier on a cruise
“Ship pollution and too many tourists are real, but banning them for an entire day won’t solve the problem,” resident Laura Murray said. “We need to find better solutions and take steps to protect us environment without harming the local economy.”
The cruise industry is a big deal for Alaska
Last year, the cruise industry generated about $30 million in revenue for local businesses on Saturdays alone, according to city data.
Royal Caribbean Group, Carnival Corporation (CCL) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) each funded thousands of dollars to push for a “no” vote, and a group of local businesses called Protecting Juneau’s Future raised more than $350,000 to fund its opposition campaign
“We believe that coalition, collaboration and direct dialogue are the best way to maintain balanced and effective tourism management to ensure Juneau’s long-term economic stability and livelihoods,” the trade group Cruise Lines International said.
The news was published the same week Royal Caribbean announces new cruise terminal Crossing the harbor on Douglas Island.
