Key Aspects:
- Juneau recorded a total of 1,700,842 cruise passengers in 2025, marking another year of growth for Alaska’s busiest cruise port.
- Large cruise ships accounted for 1,688,738 of those passengers, reflecting a 0.6 percent increase over 2024.
- Small-ship operators contributed an additional 12,104 passengers as expedition-style cruising extends the season.
The 2025 Alaska cruise season was another successful year for port towns featured along the routes of many cruise lines. Juneau, Alaska, the state’s busiest cruise port, closed its season with yet another spike in passenger traffic, with a total of 1,700,842 guests arriving in town from cruise ships.
The bulk of those visitors came from larger cruise vessels, which brought 1,688,738 passengers to Juneau this year.
That’s just a 0.6 percent increase from 2024, when those vessels delivered 1,677,935 passengers.
While the year-over-year change is modest, port officials say the stability underscores Juneau’s role in major Alaskan itineraries.
Small-ship traffic also contributed to this year’s totals, with cruise lines such as UnCruise, American Cruise Lines, and Baranof Dream Cruises adding another 12,104 passengers.
Although these vessels carry far fewer passengers than traditional cruise ships, officials note their presence extends the season into shoulder months and continues to grow as expedition and adventure-style itineraries gain popularity in Southeast Alaska.
Planning for Another Year of Growth
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore closed out Juneau’s season on October 14, 2025. Now Docks & Harbors, which is responsible for managing Juneau’s port facilities, cruise berths, and waterfront operations, is turning its attention to shaping what’s ahead.
Hosting the 2025 annual Alaska Association of Harbormasters & Port Administrators (AAHPA) meeting earlier in November, planning sessions focused on how the city will handle continued high-volume cruise traffic at a time when demand remains strong and local debates over passenger numbers continue.
Much of the public debate is whether Juneau can or should place limits on cruise calls to no more than five large vessels per day and a visitor cap of 16,000 people daily, with Saturdays dropping to 12,000 cruise guests.
Those proposals have contributed to a wave of new private port development around Juneau, including Royal Caribbean’s current construction of a new two-berth cruise port, Goldbelt AanÃ, on nearby Douglas Island.
Docks & Harbors used its November meeting to discuss long-term infrastructure needs, passenger-flow management on peak days, and capital projects required to support more than 1.7 million annual visitors. The board also addressed concerns that the new ports in development could shift traffic away from downtown docks.
The board also evaluated how Juneau’s decision to nearly double cruise dockage fees beginning in 2026 could affect port revenue and cruise scheduling.
The 2026 Alaska season will begin in mid-April with Holland America Line sending Noordam as the first and one of the last ships to arrive in the Inner Passage. Juneau will welcome its first vessel of the season, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss, on April 28, 2026.
