Assembly tries to clear the air with cruise line officials as tensions rise about future projects

A city meeting meant to open dialogue between Assembly members and cruise line representatives highlighted how vital communication is, but Ella Adkison said it’s not always a reciprocal relationship.

After her statement, Mayor Beth Weldon demanded answers from Royal Caribbean Group representative Russell Benford about the cruise line’s partnership with Goldbelt Inc., which plans to develop a private dock on west Douglas by 2027. So far, the city has been left in the dark about the process.

“We see clearing of land on the tip of North Douglas, which has freaked everybody out,” Weldon said. “We’re hearing surveys of docks are done and so far we’ve heard nothing from you guys.”

Benford said the conversation should occur between the City and Borough of Juneau and Goldbelt. He declined to answer specific questions about the project’s status.

The mayor’s question came during a joint work session on Thursday between the Assembly, Cruise Lines International Association Alaska (CLIA), and cruise line representatives. The session was open to the public and streamed over Zoom. Like all Assembly Committee of the Whole work sessions, the meeting did not include public testimony. However, the public can email the Assembly at borough.assembly@juneau.gov with concerns.

Goldbelt’s proposed port is meant to emphasize the area’s Tlingit history and be a starting point for people to take shore tours while avoiding being part of the congestion downtown, President and CEO McHugh Pierre told the Empire in October 2024.

When the project was first announced, city tourism manager Alexandra Pierce said it indicated the cruise line’s “anti-collaborative behavior.” City leaders said they felt blindsided by the announcement. Pierce said in an interview that perception was still held after the meeting, although she added that Royal Caribbean has been communicative on other issues.

“Typically, the way these partnerships work is there’s a developer that agrees to develop a dock, and there’s a cruise line that agrees to bring the passengers in order to make the dock profitable,” she said. “That means that both of those entities have a responsibility for what’s happening. We haven’t heard a word from Goldbelt. There is absolutely a city permitting process that needs to happen in order to develop something. That’s a major public process, major Assembly decision, and we have not seen any engagement yet. We have not seen a permit application. We haven’t seen anything.”

Goldbelt owns about 1,800 acres along the west coast of Douglas Island. Even though the corporation can clear its private property to evaluate building a project under CBJ’s permitting process, Pierce said it’s disappointing to see that occur before any city engagement takes place.

“Given the implications of this project on our community, and given the kind of anti-collaborative stance that they’ve taken to date, it would be really helpful to have a plan and a dialogue and a process,” she said.

The full visitor season is scheduled to begin in May. Ships docking intermittently in Juneau throughout April were the first to encounter reduced hours and staffing shortages at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, a major concern of tourism leaders leading up to the season due to the Trump administration’s firing of nearly all of the U.S. Forest Service staff there.

At the meeting, cruise industry representatives said passengers would be informed about the evolving situation at the glacier, and operators would remain committed to helping with crowd control and supporting local businesses. Holland America Group Operations Manager Robert Morgensten said the company plans to send out supplemental staff as they have done in previous years.

Renee Limoge Reeve, vice president of government and community relations for CLIA, will be in Washington, D.C., next week and has previously discussed the staffing situation at the Mendenhall Glacier with Alaska’s congressional delegation.

“It’s hugely important and we understand that this is why people love the community so much, so many people want to go to the glacier, and there will be ripple effects if they are not able to go there,” she said.

On April 5, Pierce proposed at an Assembly Finance Committee meeting a boost to worker presence at Juneau’s most popular tourist attraction by allocating $200,000 in passenger fees from cruise ship visitors. After taking public testimony, the ordinance is scheduled to be voted on at a regular Assembly meeting on May 19.

Cruise representatives added that many visitors book cruises one or two years in advance. Because of this, they are optimistic Alaska will avoid mass cancellations this summer, a concern both local tourism leaders and Alaska Airlines have expressed following President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Pierce said she’s still unsure, but noted the importance of regional collaboration moving forward. She and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings representative Sandi Weir noted Juneau has moved to eliminate hot berths in 2026. Weir also commented on Huna Totem’s Aak’w Landing project, saying she believes the fifth dock set to launch in 2027 will disperse visitors.

While Pierce acknowledged more work is needed regarding tourism management, she and cruise line representatives said Juneau is often used as a model for other ports, which look toward its infrastructure, voluntary five-ship daily limit, and Tourism Best Management Practices and Visitor Industry Task Force programs.

“We have a lot of work to do and we can’t do it alone without other ports also being part of the dialogue,” she said. “I was glad that we were able to talk about regional dynamics a little bit, because I really do think that’s the next conversation.”

Participants stressed open communication as especially necessary at the meeting now that a ballot initiative to restrict cruise passengers in Juneau for the second year in a row has been introduced. It was certified for signatures on April 18.

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz.garrett@juneauempire.com or (907) 723-9356.