A small group of environmental protestors caused Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas to temporarily change her embarkation port on Saturday, August 10, 2024.
The ship had planned to debark one sailing and begin the next from Amsterdam, but seven protestors from the group Extinction Rebellion blocked critical locks and the ship had to debark and embark in IJmuiden.
While the two ports are only 30 kilometers (19 miles) apart, this did mean a slight delay for travelers as well as the use of buses to get guests to the ship.
“Due to a port disruption that made it unsafe to pass the locks to Amsterdam, Jewel of the Seas will now debark its current sailing in IJmuiden. As a result, our check-in and boarding will be delayed,” a notification to embarking guests read.
The drive between the two cruise terminals takes approximately 35-40 minutes, and Royal Caribbean International arranged for free shuttle buses to transport all guests as needed.
The activists reportedly chained and glued themselves to the locks so the ship could not pass through as a protest against the perceived environmental impact of the 90,090-gross-ton, Radiance class ship.
“This action is a direct protest against the scandalous pollution caused by cruise shipping. They deliberately prevented the arrival of the gigantic cruise ship, the Jewel of the Seas,” a statement from the organization read. “Extinction Rebellion demands an immediate and total halt to the destructive cruise industry in the midst of the devastating climate and ecological crisis.”
Is it interesting that the organization describes Jewel of the Seas as “gigantic” consider the ship is now one of the smallest in the Royal Caribbean fleet, dwarfed by the Oasis-class ships and the even bigger Icon of the Seas.
For comparison, Oasis-class ships are approximately three times the size of Jewel of the Seas, while Icon of the Seas is even larger.
While it is true that cruise ships can be energy intensive, even Stefan Gössling, a Linnaeus University professor specifically studying tourism as it relates to the climate crisis, notes that cruise ships play a minor role in global tourism.
Local police did not remove the protestors because the situation was not causing any injuries or any life-threatening circumstances. After a few hours, the protestors reportedly left of their own volition.
Read Also: Icon of the Seas Size Comparison – Facts and Stats
Jewel of the Seas was completing a 12-night Iceland and Ireland itinerary, and her sailing departing August 10 is a 12-night Arctic Circle cruise with six different stops in Norway, including both Tromso and Honningsvag above the Arctic Circle.
The ship can welcome 2,112 guests at double occupancy or up to 2,502 travelers when fully booked. Her August 10 sailing is her last roundtrip cruise from Amsterdam, and will be followed by a 16-night transatlantic sailing to Boston.
From her Massachusetts homeport, she will offer Canada and Greenland itineraries for the autumn season before moving to Galveston for a winter of Caribbean sailings.
Other Environmental Protests
This is not the first time environmental protesters have impacted a cruise ship. In July 2022, five different ports in Norway had coordinated protests against cruise ships due to their environmental impact.
Just one month ago, another climate activism group joined with Extinction Rebellion in protest against Seven Seas Voyager, preventing the luxury ship from calling on Concarneau in northwestern France.
While these protests have been strongly focused on environmental impact, other protests and movements against cruise travel focus on the overwhelming numbers of tourists larger ships may bring to small port communities or even the noise ships may make as they enter and leave a port of call.
Cruise lines are working toward more sustainable operations with a variety of initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, improve fuel efficiency, safeguard marine wildlife, reduce food waste, and more. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has the aim for the entire industry to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and is well on the way toward that goal.
