The Alaskan town of Juneau has begun voting on the ‘ship free Saturdays’ proposal, which appears to be leaning in favour of the cruise industry.
As of today, around 3873 residents have voted against the proposal, while 2586 people are in agreement with the ‘ship-Free Saturday’ plan.
So far, only 23 per cent of the population had voted and the ballot only included ballots that were mailed in or dropped off before Election Day. This means there could be thousands of votes left to be counted.
The City and Borough of Juneau reported 3873 votes against the proposal and 2586 votes for the proposal meaning 60 per cent voted against the ‘ship-free Saturday’ plan.
While not all ballots have been counted, the result is highly unlikely to change.
Juneau is a key port on Alaskan itineraries for a number of cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and more.
But an initiative was presented earlier this year by citizens trying to find a balance between Alaska’s huge popularity as a cruise destination and harmonising with the local community.
The idea was to limit visitations on Saturdays, so the 31,685 residents could go about doing their weekend chores. But the plan divided the town with some saying that tourism was needed for the town’s economic benefit.
In 2023 Juneau saw 1,650,000 visitors from cruise ships, up 41% on 2022, and well ahead of pre-pandemic figures.
What have people been saying about Juneau?
While the result is still fresh off the press, there’s been plenty of chatter from locals and visitors alike in the build-up to the vote.
Jim Robinson, a Juneau citizen, predicted the result well and said he thinks cruise ships bring life to the town.
“The ballot initiative trying to make Saturdays ship-free in Juneau is definitely not supported by many (most?) Juneau residents. My wife and I live near downtown and walk there almost daily, winter and summer. I promise you, when there are no ships, downtown is a sad and desolate place. There is no real theater anymore, most of the restaurants and food trucks close down and the streets are empty except for the bar patrons and the homeless.
“From my perspective, the only people in favor of this initiative are government retirees or municipal, state, and federal employees who don’t know or care where the money comes from that is required to keep a city running. They are the nimby people protesting mining, logging, road-building, and tourism.”
Joe, another citizen voted ‘Yes’ on the issue.
“I voted yes on cruise ship-free Saturdays. For 6 months of the year, not only does downtown become overrun with tourists, but so do many of the local favorite trails as well as the popular whale watching and fishing spots out on the water.
“A day a week free of the throng of tourists during the spring, summer, and now, increasingly into the fall, would be welcomed by many of us, including the whales and other wildlife. Don’t lose sight of the fact that on many days, there are more tourists in Juneau than year-round inhabitants. Try that in your own community.”
Other cruisers such as Ken K are merely observers but felt the impact would be extreme.
“As a recent visitor to Juneau, I noted that almost every DT business was dedicated to the cruise ships. Most were closing at the end of the season. I think a cruise ship ban would spell economic disaster for the town. I also live in Victoria, another summertime cruise-ship destination. We simply don’t use DT on cruise days.”
Others such as Drue believe the answer lies somewhere in the middle.
“I have been to Alaska three times. Such a pristine place. I feel for the residents in this matter. I agree that this is an issue that has no fair solution for either party. Areas that have become tourist meccas either have to live with it or suffer the economic consequences.
“Perhaps limiting the number of ships per day to two or a set number of passengers visiting would help. Personally I have been there three times and do not need to see Juneau. There are other great places to visit in Alaska besides the port of Juneau.”
We just got back from Alaska. There’s definitely a lot of cruise lines coming through. Sessional workers depend on work, and yes, stores are making money too. But I agree, people need their free time too. What really bites is having two to three ships and standing in line to catch a bus into town when you have limited time. That’s just my opinion; not sure how others feel.
Just left the Bliss.Juneau a vibrant town as it is.I bought a watch from one of the jewelers and of course went souvenir hunting at the redhat.Saw a whale where I noticed,birds in the middle of the bay.Also a seal colony holding up their chosen prey above the water.As someone whom is very afraid of global warming and pollution,I see no reason why there can’t be better communication and the townfolk.Silver lake and Sitka can coexist.I don’t like that I heard cruise waste is dumped into the oceanIf lines want to continue cruising,their activity needs to be monitored by the seagoing community.