Royal Caribbean to build new port in Juneau, Alaska; city “blindsided”

Amid talks about restrictions that limit cruise ships in Alaska, Royal Caribbean Group has partnered with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to build a new cruise port on Douglas Island in Juneau.

According to a press release, the aim of the new port is to ease traffic congestion in the city and provide a rich visitor experience with Tlingit cultural heritage.

The proposed port – which would be located across the Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau and connected by the Juneau-Douglas Bridge – will feature two floating berths with views of the Chilkat Range, and visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a recreated 1800s Tlingit village.

The pitch promises traditional storytelling, art, song, dance, and cuisine, connecting guests with the history of Goldbelt shareholders' ancestors.

The port's design also intends to alleviate traffic by rerouting approximately one-third of the bus traffic from downtown Juneau.

Visitors will be transported directly from West Douglas Island for whale-watching tours or to Mendenhall Glacier, reducing the congestion on Franklin Street and Glacier Highway.

“We 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,” stated McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated.

The new port is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2027 Alaska cruise season.

City "blindsided" by news 

But the news is not all roses, according to a local perspective that was obtained by Seatrade Cruise News.

While the new port is being positioned as a solution for alleviating cruising's impact on the Alaskan city, the Juneau Visitor Industry Director’s Alexandra Pierce said the project came as a surprise, the outlet reports.

“We were blindsided by this,” Pierce told Seatrade Cruise News. “We were unaware of this plan and are disappointed they didn't bring the city in earlier in this process.”

It is a “major development that fundamentally changes things for our community,” Pierce was quoted as saying. “There needs to be a public process.”

Seatrade noted that the project was announced one day after Juneau certified its municipal election in which voters rejected a proposal for Ship-Free Saturdays. The vote was 6,575 'no' and 4,196 'yes.'

Pierce reportedly spoke with Goldbelt on Wednesday. Juneau has a multifaceted relationship with its local tribal corporation. But she awaited a “deeper conversation” with her main concern, which is Royal Caribbean.

She says other cruise lines, and Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), have been open to dialogue, while over the past year, Royal Caribbean, apparently, has been less so.

The cruise line was last to sign the memorandum of agreement, which caps daily berths, and it’s the only cruise line threatening to sue over the ballot initiative, Seatrade reports.

According to Pierce, Douglas Island’s cruise calls would be subject to the cruise industry MOAs concerning daily ship and berth caps.

Royal Caribbean has yet to comment on the issue.

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