Juneau to Nearly Double Cruise Dockage Fees in 202...

It’s about to turn out to be dearer for cruise ships to dock in Juneau, Alaska. And, finally, dearer for passengers.

On Might 19, 2025, the Juneau Meeting unanimously accepted a rise in dockage charges, aiming to carry public port prices according to these at privately operated docks in Southeast Alaska.

“We’ve been speaking about it for just a few years,” Juneau Customer Business Director Alix Pierce advised local media, referring to the cruise traces’ consciousness of the approaching payment hike. “They’ve recognized that it’s coming.”

Certainly, in April 2024, Cruise Hive reported on Juneau’s plan to gather tens of millions of {dollars} in passenger charges from cruisers yearly by way of a port payment improve.

Nonetheless, the charges are managed by way of an settlement with Cruise Traces Worldwide Affiliation Alaska (CLIA Alaska) following a 2019 settlement between the Juneau Meeting and the group.

At the moment, CLIA Alaska objected to the port charges, saying Juneau’s plans have been falling out of line with the unique settlement.

Now, a 12 months later, the town has discovered a method across the settlement and is elevating dockage charges.

As an alternative of charging charges based mostly on the tonnage of every ship that arrives and its size, the charges will now be based mostly on every vessel’s passenger capability.

Town expects to boost $5 million in charges yearly with the change.

New Payment Construction

The brand new dockage charges shall be beneath much less restrictions than the earlier payment program beneath the 2019 CLIA Alaska settlement, and won’t restrict the town to utilizing payment income in direction of its tourism trade.

As Juneau operates two of the town’s 4 cruise ship docks close to Marine Park, Pierce mentioned the brand new mannequin will carry its municipal charges nearer to what personal operators cost.

Learn Additionally: Juneau Cruise Port, Alaska – Overview and Guide

“We all know that our charges are positively low in comparison with the personal docks right here and different ports within the area are additionally taking a look at their payment construction,” she mentioned.

Along with the dockage payment adjustments, Juneau’s cruise ship passenger payment program stays a significant funding mechanism for tourism-related enhancements.

Town collects three sorts of passenger charges: a $5 Marine Passenger Payment (MPF), a $3 Port Growth Payment (PDF), and a $5 portion of the state’s $34.50 Business Passenger Vessel Excise Tax.

With 1.65 million cruise guests forecasted in 2026, Juneau anticipates amassing $21.45 million in passenger-related income.

Below the 2019 settlement settlement with CLIA Alaska, the usage of MPF funds is tightly managed and tied to mapped zones throughout the metropolis.

Initiatives throughout the core port space are typically accepted with out problem, whereas proposals exterior of the port require further session with CLIA.

In 2026, Juneau plans to spend greater than $22 million in passenger-related funds. Main proposed expenditures embody $3 million for increasing shore energy, $2.5 million to finish Marine Park enhancements, and $2 million for the following part of the Seawalk.

As the town goals to usher in extra income from Alaska’s common cruise tourism – which continues to develop 12 months over 12 months – some residents of Juneau have been preventing arduous to restrict the variety of cruise ships allowed to tug into port.

Proponents of the initiative want to cap daily visitors at 16,000 passengers and not more than 5 giant cruise ships a day. In addition they need Juneau to set an annual restrict at 1.5 million cruise passengers a 12 months.

In 2023, the town welcomed 1.6 million cruise company after which 1.68 million in 2024.

Nonetheless, Juneau wanted 2,720 signatures to maneuver the proposal to laws however failed to take action by the Might 19, 2025, deadline.

As the controversy continues, Royal Caribbean is within the strategy of sidestepping the port altogether by constructing a brand new port on Douglas Island, simply reverse of Juneau. That port is not going to be topic to the town’s new port charges.