Royal Caribbean has announced that it is partnering with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to build a brand-new floating cruise port in Juneau.
The move is designed to help reduce traffic in the downtown Juneau area during cruise visits, whilst still giving guests a fantastic experience.
The new port will be built on Douglas Island and have two floating berths for ships to use. It’ll also offer views of the Chilkat Range from the ships while docked, along with a recreated Tlingit village from the 1800s.
The location will help the cruise line to offer whale-watching tours and other sightseeing opportunities in the area, but crucially will do so without causing problems for Juneau residents.
Guests who use the port will be transported into the city via shuttle boats, meaning that the Alaskan capital’s roads will see traffic cut by as much as a third on busier cruise visit days.
“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,“
McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated
The new port is set to open in time for the 2027 season.
Compromise found?
The new port announcement comes just days after it was confirmed that Juneau residents had rejected a ban on cruise ship visits on Saturdays and on 4th July.
Residents were voting on the proposal which looked to reduce the impact of cruise ships on the town and its local environment.
However, a sizable majority voted against the proposals, wanting to keep cruise ships visiting on any day of the season, likely thanks to the income generated by tourists when they visit the town.
A new port that helps to reduce the impact on road traffic, while maintaining the visitor numbers, could therefore be the ideal compromise.
And it also follows an announcement that Royal Caribbean is installing Starlink internet access at Juneau’s port, to lighten the digital load on the town.
It’s clear that Royal Caribbean values Juneau as a cruise destination, with so much investment.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
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