The city of Amsterdam has imposed a number cruise cuts on ship passengers, as well as pledged to move the city dock out of the city centre. The changes come after a build-up of protests and discussions regarding cruise ship visitors, as well as a larger city plan to manage large tourism numbers.
Changes were first proposed back in 2016, gathering more steam over the past year. Complaints centred around noise, air pollution, and congestion in the city. According to the Amsterdam Cruise Port Foundation, the city sees around 150 cruise calls per year, and handles around 300,000 passengers.
The newly imposed limits will set a maximum of 100 cruise ship calls per year, and limit the passenger terminal to only one ship per day. Furthermore, by 2027, all cruise ships will be required to use shore power.
The municipal council wrote in a statement: “With these measures, the city is implementing the municipal council’s wish to put an end to the cruise terminal in Amsterdam. Banning cruise ships is also part of a broad package of measures to limit the growth of tourism and combat nuisance.”
The council is also in consultation with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the Port Authority, to discuss moving the cruise terminal to Coenhaven, outside of the city. The aim is for the cruise port to be removed from its current lcoation by 2035.
Amsterdam isn’t alone in its actions, with similar talks happening in Barcelona, and Venice already imposing bans on cruise ships.
The Cruise Line International Association provided a statement to Cruise Passenger.
“Today’s announcement is a great example of the cruise industry’s long-standing partnership with the Port of Amsterdam and the direct outcome of our collaborative discussions on the relocation of the passenger terminal outside the city centre, which started back in 2016.
“Amsterdam is and will remain a popular cruise destination, and cruise tourism will continue delivering important economic benefits to the city – to the tune of around 105 million Euros annually. That economic contribution is particularly significant when you consider that of the more than 21 million visitors to Amsterdam each year, only around 1% arrive in cruise ships.”
Earlier this year, the city also announced it would halve river ship arrivals by half in 2026.
