Juneau pauses mandatory daily cruise ship limit proposal

The City and Borough of Juneau has put on hold a proposal to make its limit of five cruise ships per day mandatory. The restriction currently forms part of a voluntary agreement between the city and the cruise industry. The Juneau Assembly voted five to four to pause the proposal, according to local media.

Mayor Beth Weldon proposed delaying consideration of the ordinance until the Visitor Industry Task Force provides recommendations, which were expected in the fall. Weldon said the voluntary five-ship limit was less burdensome and had worked so far.

Local media reported that Juneau had not previously pursued a mandatory limit because it was awaiting a court ruling on whether local governments could establish their own restrictions. The report said a federal judge ruled that Bar Harbor, Maine, could impose a daily limit of one thousand cruise passengers, but only during July and August.

According to the Juneau Tourism Survey report, the city and borough recorded one million, seven hundred twelve thousand, six hundred cruise passengers in twenty twenty-five. The report said the figure was one percent lower than in twenty twenty-four, while overall cruise passenger volume had more than tripled since nineteen ninety-five.