Key Aspects:
- The Extinction Rebellion group has staged another anti-cruise protest, this time blocking Celebrity Eclipse from docking in Amsterdam on July 27, 2025.
- During the protest, around 30 environmental activists blocked the 2,850-guest ship from entering the harbor by forming a barrier with smaller boats and inflatables.
- The stand off lasted for about two hours, delaying disembarkation from a now-concluded 11-night cruise.
The Amsterdam cruise terminal in the Netherlands welcomed over 1.1 million passengers last year, but an activist group called Extinction Rebellion would prefer that this number dropped to zero immediately.
The environmental organization vehemently opposes cruise tourism, which they believe should not be allowed to continue due to ship-caused pollution and the potential negative environmental impact on coastal communities.
Approximately 30 members came out in full force in Amsterdam on the morning of July 27, 2025, to block Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse from docking at what has been her homeport since the end of April.
Ominous pictures show the protestors surrounding the bow of the cruise ship just as the dawn is breaking, getting way too close to the significantly larger vessel for comfort.
“Dabbling in boats, canoes and inflatable animals, 30 rebels again took action against the cruise industry. This time we stopped the cruise ship the Celebrity Eclipse (2,850 passengers and 1,200 crew members) from docking at the Passengers Terminal Amsterdam,” the group posted on their social media.
“We protest with this blockade against the harmful influence of cruise ships on humans, nature and the climate,” the post continued.
The group has caused cruise ships to delay arrivals and skip port calls entirely in Europe before by blocking the entrance to harbors, with members sometimes even using their own bodies to block critical access locks.
This time, activists gathered starting at around 4:30 a.m. in canoes, inflatables, and other small water crafts to form a barrier well before the Solstice-class vessel arrived closer to 6 a.m.
Once the ship arrived, which was carrying thousands of guests who needed to disembark from an 11-night sailing to Iceland and Ireland, a two-hour stand off ensued until the protestors could be removed.
Law enforcement did eventually intervene to break up the protest, with five activists arrested on charges of assault, obstructing the cruise ship, and refusing to provide identification when asked.
At least two of the individuals who were taken into custody have already been released.
Some of the protestors have also alleged that police boats collided with their inflatable vessels, but this has not been confirmed and no injuries have been reported.
Celebrity Eclipse was able to dock safely and is already in the middle of a 7-night sailing to the Norwegian Fjords that set sail at around 5 p.m. the very same day.
Protesting With Renewed Passion
Unfortunately, the conflict between the cruise industry and Extinction Rebellion does not seem to be going away anytime soon. If anything, tensions are actually increasing.
“Cruise ships are floating environmental disasters. They should not be allowed in Dutch waters. We demand strict and binding national and international environmental standards and regulations, as well as strict enforcement and sanctions policy,” Extinction Rebellion posted.
“We will continue with actions like this until this harmful tourist industry is banned from Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands,” the group asserted.
That said, this stance may be a bit harsh as the cruise lines have made a real effort to be carbon neutral by 2050 (or sooner) and have been prioritizing sustainability in recent years.
For example, many cruise lines have updated their fleets to be able to connect to shore power, which is a greener fuel alternative, and have built new ships to have this capability from the start.
Of course, Extinction Rebellion’s efforts do have a negative impact on cruise operations, which is what the group wants.
Top brands like Royal Caribbean (the sister brand to Celebrity Cruises), Disney Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Ambassador Cruise Line have all been forced to pivot due to the group’s actions in 2024.
The delays and skipped port calls that this group has caused leads to unhappy passengers and significant expenditures when the cruise lines have to refund shore excursions or compensate guests.
The passengers onboard, meanwhile, may be forced to skip tours they paid for or miss flights or other pre-booked transportation if disembarkation is significantly delayed.
On the shore side, tour providers are forced to quickly adjust, especially if guides and buses are already waiting at the port, and perhaps lose out on significant income, impacting their livelihoods.
The protestors are risking their own safety as well. At 121,878-gross tons and 1,041 feet long, Celebrity Eclipse is a large ship that is certainly capable of damaging or sinking the activists’ vessels.
