The future of cruises in Amsterdam may not be as clear as recent statements from the city council suggest. CLIA (the Cruise Lines Association) and the cruise port have refuted these claims. Many media outlets have reported on a supposed ban on cruises in the city, but this is incorrect.
Amsterdam's city council voted to ban cruise ships in a purported effort to curb pollution and manage tourism, even calling cruise passengers "locusts with virtually no benefit to the local economy." However, it should be noted that the vote is only a recommendation and that, at this time, there is no impact on scheduled cruise ship calls in Amsterdam.
CLIA has issued a statement reassuring travelers and companies about the port's commitment to sustainable infrastructure investments to continue receiving cruise ships.
“We are aware of the media reports regarding the future of cruises in Amsterdam. As the port has publicly stated, cruise ships have not been banned from entering Amsterdam,” the statement reads. “Furthermore, the Port of Amsterdam and the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal have already committed to making investments worth millions of euros in long-term port infrastructure and onshore electricity.” CLIA also notes that discussions about the possibility of relocating the cruise port away from the city center began in 2016 and that these discussions are ongoing, with no immediate plans for a drastic change.
CLIA also provides data on the actual figures for cruise tourism and its contribution to the city of Amsterdam.
“Of the more than 21 million visitors Amsterdam receives each year, around 1% arrive by cruise ship, and cruise tourism contributes around 105 million euros to the city annually”.
The Port also responds:
Cruise Port Amsterdam has also responded to the inaccurate reports, noting that they are operating normally at this time.
“On July 20, the parties in Amsterdam’s city council coalition called for a ban on ocean-going cruise ships docking at their current location in the city center. The council has appealed to the College of Mayors and Councillors, which has not yet responded.” “The current situation does not affect port calls already booked in our port.””.
Cruise Port Amsterdam also notes that no firm proposal has yet been made that would affect cruise ship calls, nor is there any timeline for such drastic changes. While the location of a new port may be under investigation, the port has no information on that option at this time.
Any relocation change or effort is likely to take years to implement, possibly in a multi-phase approach or with limited impact in the initial stages.
The capital of the Netherlands is a popular cruise destination visited year-round by river and ocean-going vessels. Among the most popular cruise lines that include regular visits to Amsterdam in their itineraries are Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Costa Cruises, and others.
Amsterdam is a popular port of call on Northern European itineraries and specialized cruises visiting several European capitals. It is also frequently included in Scandinavian, Nordic, and Baltic Sea itineraries, providing a convenient port of call en route to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, or Finland.
