Nearly 60% of Juneau voters oppose a ballot measure that seeks to prohibit large cruise ships from docking on Saturdays. If enacted, the legislation would ban cruise ships carrying 250 or more passengers from docking on Saturdays and the Fourth of July, beginning next year. Advocates for the “Ship-Free Saturdays” initiative, including retiree Karla Hart, express concerns about overcrowding and the adverse effects of tourism on the city, particularly the noise generated by helicopter tours.
Those who are against the bill, such as Protect Juneau’s Future, say it would hurt the economy in the area by cutting jobs and tax money. In 2023, the cruise industry generated 3,850 jobs and $375 million in direct expenditure, according to McKinley Research Group. Additionally, the city received $18 million in sales tax from the industry. The bill would have a devastating impact on the cruise industry, according to McHugh Pierre, chair of Protect Juneau’s Future. As cruise ships bring in $30 million in annual passenger spending on Saturdays alone.
There will also be legal hurdles to jump. If the initiative passes, many corporations, including Royal Caribbean and Allen Marine Tours, have threatened legal action, citing violations of federal maritime law and the Alaska Constitution as reasons.
Instead of imposing restrictions through legislation, the measure’s detractors propose collaborating with the cruise sector. According to Pierre, new agreements with cruise companies would cap Saturday passenger capacity at 12,000 and limit the number of large ships to five per day beginning in 2026.
Hart contends that, despite these efforts, the voluntary agreements do not sufficiently tackle the adverse impacts of tourism on the community. At the same time, the city is advancing its plans to build a fifth Juneau cruise ship dock in Downtown.
This news story was originally published by Alaska´s News Source.
