As Juneau, Alaska, grapples with local regulations limiting cruise ship passenger arrivals, Royal Caribbean Group is partnering with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to develop a new cruise port on Douglas Island, Alaska.
Located directly across the Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau and connected by the Juneau-Douglas Bridge, the new port aims to reduce traffic congestion in downtown Juneau while enhancing both local infrastructure and the visitor experience.
Plans for the port include two floating berths with views of the Chilkat Range and a recreated 1800s Tlingit village, where visitors can learn about Alaska Native history and culture through art, music, dance, and traditional foods.
The portโs location will be on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act land and will enable easy access to whale-watching tours and other visitor activities without overwhelming downtown Juneau.
โWe look forward to the prospect of bringing this sustainable, culture-rich cruise ship terminal to life in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, providing community solutions to local transportation and economic development issues,โ said McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated.
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Guests disembarking in Juneau will be transported to excursions and the city by shuttle boat, bypassing some of the Alaskan capitalโs most congested streets and potentially reducing downtown traffic by as much as a third.
The portโs design also incorporates environmental benefits with its location helping to reduce travel time and fuel consumption for cruise ships heading north to other Alaska destinations like Skagway.
Goldbelt Incorporated says the port can be a long-term economic driver for the region, creating jobs and possibly leading to the development of much-needed infrastructure like employee housing and a second crossing between Juneau and Douglas Island.
The new port is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2027 Alaska cruise season with Turnagain Marine serving as the design builder for the project.
Managing Tourism Amid Record Numbers
Alaska welcomes most ships to its ports between May and August and saw a record-breaking 1.6 million passengers in 2023. In recent months, Juneau has taken steps to manage its growing cruise tourism industry by limiting ships and guest disembarkment.
City officials and the cruise lines initially imposed a cap of five ships per day at the start of the 2024 season, which began May 24, 2024. However, on May 4, 2024, a new agreement was reached to limit the number of passengers disembarking from cruise ships to 16,000 per day.
The limit was lowered to 12,000 on Saturdays, greatly reducing earlier figures of as many as 21,000 passengers on the cityโs busiest cruise days.
Residents of the city have also been pushing to establish โship-free Saturdaysโ to further limit guests and ease congestion on days when locals are also exploring Juneau, but the petition to place the limitation on election ballots failed on October 16, 2024.
Royal Caribbean Group and Goldbelt Incorporated hope their partnership and new port will provide a solution to growing transportation issues in Juneau.
โWe are thankful to Goldbelt Incorporated and to the Juneau community for the partnership to bring solution-oriented initiatives, such as this port, to life,โ said Preston Carnahan, assistant vice president, west coast destinations for Royal Caribbean Group.
โWe look forward to continuing to support Juneau as the cruise capital of Alaska by offering award-winning guests experiences through responsible destination management,โ he continued.
Juneauโs last call of its 2024 season will be Norwegian Cruise Lineโs Norwegian Jewel, arriving on October 24, 2024, with up to 2,376 passengers. Norwegian Bliss will arrive on October 21, 2024, with up to 4,004 guests.
The cityโs 2025 season is expected to kick off again on April 15, 2025, with the arrival of Norwegian Bliss.