Is Amsterdam planning on putting the brakes on cruise ships for good? An Amsterdam cruise ban proposes ending ocean cruising by 2035, putting plans to move the sea cruise terminal away from the popular city on hold in favour of a complete halt on ships.
In recent years, Amsterdam has implemented several measures to curb overtourism and disperse visitors from the city centre after it racked up more than 21 million overnight stays in the Dutch capital in 2019.
In 2024, the city council restricted river cruise ships from 190 to 100 by 2026 and banned new hotel builds. An Amsterdam cruise ban on ocean ships docking in the city centre was implemented in 2023.
It also decided to remove the Cruise Port Amsterdam, which handles sea and river cruises, from its current location on the River IJ by 2035.
However, that plan has come to a halt after a feasibility study into moving the passenger terminal from its current city centre location drew attention to “undesirable” estimated investment costs of €85 million (around AUD$146 million).
With a complete Amsterdam cruise ban, the city council would lose an estimated €46 million (around AUD$79 million) in revenue through port and tourist taxes over 30 years.
Amsterdam’s tourism policy vision for 2035 states that the city wants to discourage the type of tourism that draws large groups of visitors, whether that’s generated by coaches, organised touring or cruising.
Instead, Amsterdam wants “to encourage creative and sustainable businesses which offer products or activities that are both attractive to tourists and make a positive contribution to the city and the lives of the people of Amsterdam”.
“Our joint challenge is to create a visitor economy that adds quality to the city instead of harming it,” the policy states.
According to a DutchNews report, City of Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Hester van Buren, whose portfolio includes the sea and air ports, said: “We want to prioritise sustainability and liveability. This means that we will be exploring the option of ending sea cruises in Amsterdam by 2035 in the coming months.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: A potential Amsterdam cruise ban underscores a growing pushback against mass tourism in Europe, signalling to cruise lines and advisors that access, sustainability and community impact will increasingly shape future itineraries.
