2025 Alaska Cruise Season Gets Underway as First Ship Sails Into Juneau

The 2025 Alaska cruise season is officially underway.

On Monday, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss sailed into Juneau, kicking off another summer of visitors exploring No. 49. The next ship, Carnival Spirit, is scheduled to arrive in Juneau on Friday, reports KTOO.

Juneau is estimating that roughly 1.65 million passengers will visit this season, which runs from now through October, reports KTOO. Between one and three ships will arrive in Juneau each week from now through mid-May, when the number will increase to three to five ships per day. Cruise ships will arrive almost daily until the season ends October 14.

The city expects to generate about $21.5 million in revenue from a $5 fee charged to the cruise lines for every passenger they bring into the port. That money goes toward basic city services, like emergency response support, as well as new projects intended to serve visitors or ease tourism impacts.

The new season kicks off as tensions continue to swirl around the future of cruising in Juneau. Last year, voters rejected a proposal for “ship-free Saturdays.” But the group behind the initiative is continuing to push for limits on tourism. 

Juneau and major cruise lines have agreed to a limit of five cruise ships per day. And, starting in 2026, they’ve also agreed to limit the number of daily passengers to 16,000 on weekdays and 12,000 on Saturdays.

Last week, city officials signed off on a proposal to develop a fifth cruise ship dock called Áak'w Landing before the 2026 season. Meanwhile, tourism officials are concerned about the effects of recent federal firings at the popular Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. They’re also unsure how the ongoing economic uncertainty and Trump’s new tariffs will affect travelers’ decisions and spending.

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