From January 1, 2026, the capacity of the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal (PTA) will be reduced to a single berth, and the number of port calls will be limited to a maximum of 100 per year. Reservations for double port calls in 2024 and 2025 will be honored, explains Dick de Graaff, director of Cruise Port Amsterdam.
This is part of a course of action set by the council on June 27, following a motion adopted by the Amsterdam City Council in July 2023 that “Amsterdam is better off without ocean cruises”, and a subsequent investigation into the potential economic effects of that motion.
It is also proposed that the PTA be relocated from its current location in Veemkade, with a deadline of 2035.
An investigation into the matter will begin in 2025. The city of Amsterdam, together with the Port of Amsterdam, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), and the province of North Holland, will conduct further financial, economic, and legal research into the implications of relocating to Coenhaven.
This research will be completed by mid-2025. Based on this, the city will decide in the fall of 2025, in coordination with the Ministry of IenW, the Port of Amsterdam and the province of North Holland, whether relocation to Coenhaven is feasible.
From January 1, 2027, the use of onshore electrical power will be mandatory.
When the announcement was made on June 27, the Cruise Lines International Association released the following statement: “Today’s announcement is a great example of the cruise industry’s long-term partnership with the Port of Amsterdam and a direct result of our collaborative discussions on relocating the passenger terminal away from the city center, which began in 2016.”
“Amsterdam is and will remain a popular cruise destination, and cruise tourism will continue to provide significant economic benefits to the city: around 105 million euros annually. This economic contribution is particularly significant when you consider that, of the more than 21 million visitors Amsterdam receives each year, only around 1% arrive by cruise ship.”.
