The Norwegian Encore departed Juneau (Alaska) on Tuesday night, October 14th, closing the curtain on the city’s 2025 cruise season after nearly 200 days of continuous sailings.
The year began under a cloud of uncertainty. Economic tensions from U.S. tariff policies and federal layoffs had left Juneau’s tourism infrastructure under strain, particularly at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. The popular attraction—visited by more than a million people annually—operated with reduced federal staff for much of the season. According to the city’s Tourism Director, Alix Pierce, local groups and community organizations stepped in to help maintain safety and operations at the site, underscoring the shared value of the glacier as both a community asset and a cornerstone of the local visitor economy.
Final passenger figures for the season have yet to be confirmed, though estimates place arrivals between 1.6 and 1.7 million—roughly in line with 2024 levels. However, 2026 will mark the introduction of new measures aimed at managing visitor growth more sustainably. Beginning next year, a negotiated cap will limit cruise passengers to 16,000 per day, with a reduced threshold of 12,000 on Saturdays. The city also agreed with cruise operators to shorten the operational window, removing most of April and October from the schedule.
Pierce noted that stabilizing the volume of visitors allows for clearer planning and more balanced community impacts, even as broader discussions on long-term cruise management continue.
Meanwhile, early election results indicate that residents are unlikely to approve a proposed seasonal sales tax increase intended to capture additional revenue during the summer tourism months.
Juneau’s 2026 cruise season is scheduled to begin on April 27th, with the final vessel set to depart on October 6th.