Amsterdam is exploring the possibility of eliminating cruise ships from its port by 2035, as city officials weigh sustainability concerns against the high cost of relocating cruise infrastructure.
According to The Maritime Executive and Dutch News, the Amsterdam city council has delayed a vote to relocate the city’s cruise terminal until after municipal elections on March 18. Officials will spend the coming months examining whether ending cruise ships altogether would be a more viable long-term solution.
The discussion follows a feasibility study evaluating a move of the terminal from its current location. The study estimated relocation costs in the millions.
“We want to prioritise sustainability and liveability,” said Port Alderman Hester van Buren in Dutch News, noting that ending cruises is now being explored as an alternative to relocation.
A Shift in Cruise Tourism
As incentive planners may already know, Amsterdam has been steadily tightening its approach to cruise tourism in recent years. City officials previously agreed to cap the number of cruise calls at 100 annually by 2026—down from roughly 190—and to restrict arrivals to no more than one ship per day. Additional measures include mandating shore power for cruise vessels beginning in 2027.
Long-term, the city has also targeted the removal of the cruise terminal from its current central location by 2035, while allowing a scaled-back level of river cruise traffic to continue. Officials say the measures are intended to address ongoing concerns tied to congestion, environmental impact and quality of life in the historic city center.
If Amsterdam eliminates cruises, the country would join other European destinations that are reducing cruise ships, including Barcelona and ports along the French Riviera.
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