Juneau Set to Vote on Saturday Restrictions for Cruise Ship Operations

Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, is set to vote on restricting cruise ship operations on Saturdays. After limiting cruise passenger arrivals earlier this year, the town may also ban vessels with 250 passengers or more from docking on that specific day of the week.

According to the Associated Press, the “ship-free Saturdays” initiative qualified for Juneau’s municipal ballot and will be voted on October 1.

The proposal would also ban vessels from docking on July 4, a day when the city organizes an annual downtown parade.

The measure qualified for voting this week and will go to voters unless the local Assembly enacts a similar measure by August 15, which is seen as unlikely, the Associated Press stated.

The initiative aims to give Juneau’s residents “a respite” from tourism influx, the news agency added.

As part of their itineraries in Alaska, ships regularly dock in the city on Saturdays in 2024. Callers include the Carnival Spirit, the Carnival Luminosa, the Seven Seas Explorer, the Silver Nova and the Grand Princess.

2025 itineraries also include various ships, such as the Coral Princess, Norwegian Joy, the Ruby Princess and the Silver Moon, arriving regularly on Saturdays.

Off note, given its proposed passenger number threshold, the measure would not ban smaller U.S.-flagged vessels, including those operated by brands like Alaskan Dream Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions and UnCruise Adventures.

In early June, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) announced a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with cruise lines to help manage visitor industry volume in the capital city.

According to a press release, the measure establishes a limit of 16,000 lower berths per day and also includes a commitment to optimizing the city’s cruise schedule, reviewing visitor numbers and discussing community goals.

The agreement also included a further limit to cruise numbers on Saturdays, which would be capped at 12,000.