Juneau city officials say they are still “extremely unhappy” with a cruise line and a local Alaska Native corporation after they announced plans to develop a new cruise ship port on Douglas Island last week.
Laura Hodges Bethge is the president of Celebrity Cruises, which is owned by Royal Caribbean Group. On Tuesday at the Alaska Travel Industry Association conference in Juneau, she said the proposed partnership between Goldbelt, Inc. and Royal Caribbean will help address congestion in downtown Juneau.
“This project is an example of how we work with destinations to help disperse visitors across the geography,” she said during a speech. “We’ve just begun conversations with Mayor Weldon and other local stakeholders and residents, and we deeply value the input. We know we have a lot of steps to take to move this project forward, and we look forward to doing it with all of you.”
Goldbelt owns nearly 2,000 acres of land along the north coastline of Douglas Island, roughly between False Outer Point and Point Hilda on the island’s west side. The proposed two-ship port could be located anywhere along that coastline.
After the speech, Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon said she wanted an apology for what she believes was a poorly-timed announcement. It came just a day after the city’s municipal election results were finalized. Juneau voters rejected a ballot proposition that would have banned all large cruise ships on Saturdays starting next year.
“We’re very displeased with what their actions have been thus far, and they have to prove to the community that what they’re trying to do is best for the community, because at this point, we don’t see any benefit to the community,” Weldon said.
The city’s Visitor Industry Director Alix Pierce echoed Weldon’s frustration.
“As far as I’m concerned, having two meetings where we tell them how disappointed we are, and they evade and give excuses, is not really working together,” Pierce said.
Hodges Bethge declined an interview after her speech. A Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson shared a statement instead.
“We formally apologize to the City and Borough of Juneau that we did not communicate with their team earlier on the planned port project,” the statement reads.
According to Goldbelt, the companies hope to finish financial estimates and concept designs for the project by next spring and complete the project during the 2027 cruise season.