Popular summer cruise destination to get new downtown cruise port
A new port development backed by Norwegian Cruise Line will benefit locals and visitors in one sought-after destination.
A years-long process to bring a new cruise ship pier to an in-demand summer cruise destination is finally on its way to the construction phase.
City officials recently approved a lease for city-owned submerged tidelands required to build the new downtown cruise ship dock.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line to launch new year-round cruise port
The city already has multiple cruise ship docks, but a cruise tourism boom in recent years has increased the need for an additional port facility, which is expected to ease downtown congestion as it spreads the cruise ships and passengers visiting the destination out over a wider area.
Overtourism concerns previously led the city to limit cruise ship arrivals to five ships per day and also prompted negotiations with cruise lines to cap the number of passengers disembarking from those ships beginning in 2026.
With those limits in place and a new cruise ship dock in the works that the city has had a lot of say in, Juneau, Alaska is taking crucial steps to manage the impacts of cruise tourism in ways that improve the experience for both visitors and locals.
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Juneau votes to approve fifth downtown cruise ship dock
The Juneau Assembly voted to approve the tidelands lease for the construction of Juneau’s fifth cruise ship dock on April 7, according to Juneau’s KTOO Public Media. The dock will be built in Gastineau Channel on the edge of the city’s downtown area next to the city’s U.S. Coast Guard station.
Along with the dock, the project includes a waterfront development called Àak’w Landing that will feature a welcome center, retail and dining space, and parking. Named after the original inhabitants of the Juneau area, the Áak’w Ḵwáan, Àak’w Landing will also include an indigenous knowledge, science and cultural learning center.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line ships leaving fleet, cruises cancelled
The project is led by native-owned Huna Totem Corporation, a local leader in Alaska’s tourism development. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings donated the waterfront land it purchased for the cruise ship facility to Huna Totem in 2022 to lead the efforts to develop a new pier and related infrastructure. Under the agreement, Norwegian Cruise Line brands will receive preferential berthing rights at the pier once development is complete.
With the tidelands lease approved making it possible for construction to begin, Àak’w Landing is expected to be operational by summer 2027.
City conditions on cruise ship dock promote responsible tourism
Under the project’s conditions, only one large cruise ship carrying 4,500 passengers or fewer will be permitted to dock at the facility per day. Huna Totem will equip the dock with shore power and require large cruise ships to turn off their engines and connect to onshore power while at berth in order to reduce harmful emissions and protect air quality around the port.
Nearly 1.7 million cruise passengers visited Juneau in 2024, and the industry has faced a lot of criticism from local residents concerned about cruise tourism’s environmental impacts, traffic congestion, and overcrowding on sidewalks and at Mendenhall Glacier.
Related: Royal Caribbean-backed cruise port project takes big step forward
Another Alaska-native corporation, Goldbelt Incorporated, has also proposed an additional Juneau cruise port project in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group that’s aimed at easing congestion in the destination. The port is projected for completion during the 2027 cruise season, but hasn’t yet received full support or approval from city leaders.
The new cruise port would be located across the Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau on the back side of Douglas Island. It would help cut down on tour bus traffic in the city’s downtown by allowing passengers to depart directly from the island onto whale-watching tours or shuttle boats to Mendenhall Glacier.
Cruise passengers visiting the port would also have the opportunity to experience the region’s Tlingit culture through a recreated 1800s Alaska Native Tlingit village.
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