Juneau postpones decision on cruise ship limit
The Assembly voted five to four to delay action on making the existing voluntary cap legally binding.
The Juneau Assembly has postponed a decision on whether to codify the city’s voluntary limit of five large cruise ships per day. Assembly members approved the delay by a five-to-four vote.
Since 2023, the City and Borough of Juneau and cruise lines have negotiated a voluntary, nonbinding agreement limiting daily arrivals to five large ships during the cruise season.
Under the proposed ordinance, a sixth cruise ship would be prohibited from berthing within the City and Borough of Juneau, including Douglas Island.
A federal judge ruled in the spring that Bar Harbor’s passenger limits were legal after years of litigation, creating a legal pathway for Juneau to pursue its own restrictions. Juneau City Attorney Emily Wright estimated that defending the proposed ordinance against a legal challenge could cost the city between $1 million and $4 million. She could not assure officials that Juneau would prevail.
The city’s Visitor Industry Task Force was expected to complete its discussion and submit recommendations to the Assembly later in the fall.