The Royal Caribbean Group has signed an agreement with Goldbelt Incorporated to build a cruise port in Juneau, the companies announced in a joint press release.
According to the statement, the new port aims to strengthen the infrastructure of the Alaskan town while improving traffic congestion and enhancing the experience for both locals and visitors.
The co-developed facility will be located on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act land on Douglas Island and will include two floating berths overlooking the Chilkat Range.
Royal Caribbean and Goldbelt have named the Port of Tomorrow as the developer alongside integrated design-builder Turnagain Marine, with the new facility projected to open for the 2027 Alaska cruise season.
After disembarking from their ships, visitors will be transported to a recreated 1800s Alaska Native Tlingit village, where they will experience Goldbelt shareholders’ ancestral history through stories, art, songs, dance, and traditional foods.
The new port is designed to utilize existing whale-watching tour operations, allowing guests to depart directly from West Douglas Island onto whale-watching tours or shuttle boats to Mendenhall Glacier, alleviating downtown traffic.
According to the press release, this route will remove nearly one-third of the bus traffic from Juneau’s most impacted roadways, enhancing the overall experience for both guests and residents.
“We are thankful to Goldbelt Incorporated and to the Juneau community for the partnership to bring solution-oriented initiatives, such as this port, to life,” said Preston Carnahan, AVP West Coast Destinations for Royal Caribbean Group.
“We look forward to continuing to support Juneau as the cruise capital of Alaska by offering award-winning guest experiences through responsible destination management,” he added.
Positioned on the backside of Douglas Island, the port plan also envisions support for on-site employee housing, Goldbelt said.
In addition, it will serve as an economic driver for the second Juneau-Douglas crossing and Douglas Bench Road.
Located directly in shipping routes alongside Stephens Passage, the project blueprint would offer an environmental advantage, reducing time, speed, and fuel requirements for ships sailing north to Skagway or west to the Gulf of Alaska, making it the most ideal stopover for routing to Sitka or Seward.
“Goldbelt has long sought to establish a cruise terminal and destination centered around Tlingit history on the backside of Douglas Island,” stated McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt, Inc.
“We look forward to the prospect of bringing this sustainable, culture-rich cruise ship terminal to life in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, providing community solutions to local transportation and economic development issues,” he added.
