Site Logo
A sign marks the location of the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)

News

Tourist dies near Mendenhall Glacier

The death is not considered suspicious.

The Norwegian Bliss arrives in Juneau on Monday

News

2022 cruise season begins

Visitors and Juneau locals alike were excited for the arrival.

Protestors critical of the cruise ship industry gathered on the steps of the Alaska State Capitol on Monday, April 25, 2022, the same day the first large ship of the season arrived in Juneau. Demonstrators said the industry had a poor environmental record and called on the state to continue to Ocean Rangers program, a voter-approved initiative which put state monitors aboard ships to ensure compliance with state regualtions. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Protesters call for more enforcement of environmental regulations aboard ships

As cruise ships return, some residents remain wary.

Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire Amy Purvis, a private security officer who’s been a Juneau resident since 2000, sketches a heart and rose for a piece of woodburning art she hopes to sell to tourists this summer on the still mostly empty pier at Marine Park on Friday.

News

Modest welcome and big hopes for 1st cruise ship of the season

City officials predicting near-normal season, but many uncertainties linger

Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire This photo shows a rockfish in the aquarium at Douglas Island Pink and Chum Inc. on April 22, 2022. The hatchery is reopening to the public beginning Monday.

News

DIPAC to reopen doors to public

Put it there, chum.

This August 2021 photo shows a Princess Cruise Line ship docked in Juneau. The cruise line announced this week that a controversial contactless payment method will not be expanded to Alaska in the immediate future. Prior to the decision, MedallionPay was panned by members of the business community. (Michael Lockett / Juneau Empire file)

News

Princess puts plans for ’contactless’ MedallionPay system on hold in Alaska

Businesses and municipal officials bristle at proposed no-contact system.

Hiring signs in the windows of businesses in downtown Juneau on Monday, April 18, 2022. Over a million passengers are expected to arrive aboard large cruise ships this summer, and local business say its been a challenge finding enough workers. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Cruise ships are returning to Juneau, will seasonal workers?

Businesses cite disruption, housing in challenging hiring market.

Alaska Independent Coach Tour’s busses will be running with the same looks but new management after a joint venture between Huna Totem Corporation and Doyon, Limited founded a joint venture purchasing a controlling interest in the transport company. (Courtesy photo / AICT)

News

Huna Totem and Doyon announce new joint venture

Their aims are the promotion of sustainable, cultural tourism in transportation, lodging, and tour opportunities.

A float plane takes off over Gastineau Channel in Juneau, Alaska., on May 30, 2018. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said on Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, that he will propose a $5 million grant in his upcoming budget to support tourism marketing efforts amid the ongoing pandemic. (AP Photo / Becky Bohrer)

News

Dunleavy proposes grant for Alaska tourism effort

Proposal part of upcoming budget.

The Juneau headquarters of Alaska Light & Power on Dec. 9. (Dana Zigmund/Juneau Empire)

News

Grant process leaves city high and dry, but electrification plans still on deck

When will their ship come in?

Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire The Nieuw Amsterdam sails into Juneau on July 26, 2021. On Monday night, city leaders reviewed the results of a community survey aimed at learning more about community attitudes about the impact of large cruise ships.

News

Tourism survey yields ‘remarkable,’ ‘interesting’ data

Questionnaire shows little movement in public opinion despite visitor surge

A plane lands at Juneau International Airport on May 25, 2021, as the number of travelers in the state started to rise after the lockdowns of 2020. Travel numbers are not back up to their pre-pandemic levels, but they are increasing according to local travel authorities. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire file)

News

After steep decline, transportation numbers are slowly taking off again

Passengers are coming back by boat, plane and bus, but not yet at pre-pandemic numbers.

The Serenade of the Seas arrives in Juneau early Friday morning. The Royal Caribbean cruise ship is the first large cruise ship to come to Juneau since the pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 cruise ship season and delayed the 2021 season. (Dana Zigmund / Juneau Empire)

News

They’re back: Large cruise ships return to Southeast Alaska

Juneau’s first large cruise ship since start of the pandemic arrived today.

City and Borough of Juneau City Manager Rorie Watt holds up a chart showing the increase in the size of cruise ships during a meeting of the Tourism Industry Task Force in the Assembly chambers on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019. At Monday’s meeting, members of the City Assembly’s Committee of the Whole discussed three of the committee’s recommendations-a discussion that was sidelined by COVID-19. (Michael Penn /Juneau Empire File)

News

City turns to tourism management ahead of short cruise season

Community survey coming, new tourism job being considered

The American Constellation arrives at the cruise ship docks Monday evening. Crew members will quarantine on board he American Cruise Lines vessel following multiple reported cases of COVID-19 among the crew, according to City and Borough of Juneau. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Small cruise ship to stay at downtown docks during quarantine

Protocols in place.

T(HE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, NIAID-RML)

News

Following positive COVID tests, small cruise ship’s unvaccinated crew to quarantine on board vessel in Juneau

Those who tested positive and close contacts will isolate in Petersburg.

The Alaska State Library Museum and Archives was open on Tuesday, June 29, 2021 and according to staff, seeing a rise in the amount of visitors. Numbers aren't where they were before the pandemic, but local curators are optimistic about this summer. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Juneau’s museums are optimistic for summer

Hope for a rebound.

Visitors depart from the Baranoff Hotel in downtown Juneau on Thursday, June 3, 2021, just days after the typically year-round hotel reopened its doors after closing for the COVID-19 pandemic. Travelers are returning, hoteliers say, but many of their rooms remain empty. (Peter Segall / Juneau Empire)

News

Visitor numbers rebound, but hotel vacancies remain high

Hotels, motels, nobody’s in.

The Cunard cruise ship Queen Elizabeth sails through Cook Inlet Thursday, May 16, 2019, for a port call in Anchorage. Federal officials say a lawsuit in Florida could block cruise ships from visiting Alaska in summer 2021. (AP Photo / Mark Thiessen)

News

CDC: Florida lawsuit imperils summer cruises to Alaska

CDC lawyers say injunction win would “end cruising in Alaska for the season.”

Dan Blanchard, CEO of UnCruise Adventures stands at the bridge of the Safari Quest, one of several boats that will ply Alaksa's waters this season. He said the stuffed animal is the ship's official mascot. His daughter, Denee Blanchard, is the captain of the vessel, which left Juneau for a weeklong cruise on May 15. (Dana Zigmund/Juneau Empire)

News

UnCruise sets sail with a larger fleet

Strong demand results in more ships moving to Juneau