Amsterdam to Eliminate All Ocean-Going Cruise Ship Visits by 2035

It’s been nearly one year since the city of Amsterdam voted to ban large cruise ships from docking in the city center. Now, the Dutch capital city has gone one step farther, capping cruise ship visits to just 100 per year in 2026, down from the 190 that are scheduled for this year.

And, by 2035 no cruise ships at all will be permitted to visit the city.

“Sea cruises are polluting and cause crowds and emissions in the city,” the municipality said in its announcement.

In addition to capping the number of cruise ships that can visit the city, Amsterdam further aims to reduce ship-related emissions by requiring all ships to use shore power by 2027.

The municipality acknowledged the likely loss of revenue that will come from its crackdown on tourism – both land- and cruise-based – stating the loss could be anywhere from €46 million to €103 million, according to Bloomberg.

The Port Authority hopes to have the passenger terminal relocated to the city of Coenhaven, some 20 minutes away from Amsterdam by 2035.

“In collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Port Authority and the Province of North Holland, it is being investigated whether it is financially and legally possible to move the PTA to the Coenhaven,” the municipality wrote. “Based on this research, the college will decide in consultation with the government, the Port Authority and the province of Noord-Holland or move from 2035.”

While the municipality did not reference river cruises in its new announcement, in April it indicated that it plans to reduce the number of river cruises visiting the city to 1,150 down from about 2,300.