The beautifully pristine natural resources of Alaska are among the top reasons why so many cruisers choose the destination for their vacation at sea, from the turquoise waters of Glacier Bay to the rivers loaded with salmon, and the leafy forests where wildlife thrives.
But, as the popularity of Alaska cruises has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, so has the number of water quality violations by cruise ships, new data from the state shows.
Cruise ships of all sizes must comply with limits on releasing gray water, originating in kitchens, sinks, and showers, and blackwater, which refers to treated sewage. Environmental officials monitor the releases using water samples.
According to local media reports, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation recently presented new data to a subcommittee of the state’s House Finance Committee, pointing out that up to 1,800 water samples are taken each year.
In the last decade, violations, which the state records as “exceedances,” have grown from a typical 20 to 25 per year from 2015 to 2018, to closer to 75 per year more recently — well more than double.
One of the reasons behind the spike is the abolishment in 2019 of the state’s Ocean Ranger program, which monitored all wastewater discharges. The rangers turned over their findings to appropriate enforcement agencies, which then took steps to bring cruise ships into compliance.
“We are seeing an increase in exceedances, but we’re also seeing an increase in compliance response, post-ocean ranger,” Gene McCabe, director of the Alaska Division of Water, told the subcommittee.
The increase in violations can be attributed, at least in part, to the surge in cruise tourism to the Last Frontier State. In 2015, cruise arrivals in Alaska were just under 1 million. Fast forward nine years and the number in 2024 was 1.6 million. The number is expected to easily break that record in 2025.
In fact, 65% of all travelers to Alaska arrive by cruise ship. Virtually every major cruise line, and most of the smaller, luxury lines, offer seasonal voyages to the destination. The Alaska cruise season is fairly short, from mid-April to mid-September, with the high season considered to be June to August.
Several of the biggest cruise lines, such as Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America Line, deploy multiple ships to the region, offering voyages from the leading ports of Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Holland America Line, for instance, will base six ships in Alaska for the 2025 season: Eurodam, Noordam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Westerdam, and Zaandam. The cruise line also has the most Glacier Bay permits of any cruise brand.
Famous Glacier Bay Has Tighter Water Quality Rules
Looking to maintain and enforce strict water quality rules after the ranger program was nixed, the National Park Service in 2022 began its own environmental inspection program in Glacier Bay National Park.
Read Also: What Do Cruise Ships Do with Sewage and Waste?
The cruise industry agreed to fund the initiative, called the Environmental Monitoring and Compliance Program. Inspections are carried out by third-party inspectors who board ships as they enter the park. Cruise ships are not notified ahead of time that an inspection is planned.
Cruise ships do not dock in Glacier Bay National Park; the region is limited to scenic cruising only by ships that have obtained permits.
Ships that enter the 3.3 million-acre park on Alaska’s southeast coast must comply with strict environmental standards, including zero discharges of water and the use of low-sulfur fuel.
The data presented to the subcommittee appears to be a status report and does not include recommendations for improving the cruise industry’s compliance of state water quality rules.
