The 2025 cruise season in Juneau came to a close last Tuesday night with the departure of the Norwegian Encore, marking the end of nearly 200 days of cruise ships visiting the capital city.
This year’s Alaska cruise season began during a period of economic challenges following local layoffs, which led to reduced staffing at several key attractions, including the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center, Juneau’s most visited site. The glacier welcomed more than one million visitors last year.
Alix Pierce, Juneau’s Tourism Director, said that the community collaborated closely with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain safety and support for visitors despite staffing shortfalls over the summer. “The situation at the glacier was a testament to community collaboration and how important that asset is to our visitor industry,” she said.
Although the official total of cruise passengers who visited Juneau this year has not been finalized, estimates suggest between 1.6 and 1.7 million arrivals, with numbers expected to remain stable for the 2026 season.
New Limits to Manage Visitor Numbers in 2026
Starting next year, Juneau will implement a mandatory visitor cap under a new cruise ship management plan designed to control daily cruise passenger volumes.
The cap will limit cruise visitors to 16,000 on most days and 12,000 on Saturdays. By comparison, some of the busiest days this year saw up to 21,000 passengers.
Additionally, cruise lines agreed to shorten Juneau’s cruise season, mostly eliminating sailings in April and October to further manage the flow of visitors.
Pierce said that discussions on managing cruising in Juneau are ongoing. “Not having to brace for continued year-over-year growth allows the community to better understand and prepare for what the season will look like,” she said.
2026 Alaska Cruise Season
Juneau voters recently considered a proposal to introduce a seasonal sales tax to address the impact of cruise tourism.
Looking ahead, the 2026 cruise season is scheduled to begin on April 27 and end on October 6.
Alaska saw more than 1.6 million cruise passengers in 2025.
