In a bid to limit visitors and reduce pollution, Amsterdam’s council officially banned cruise ships from city center. Claiming these cruise ships are not in line with the city’s sustainable initiatives, the ban means the central cruise terminal on River IJ, near the city’s main train station, will close. The decision comes amid a years-long bid to control overtourism in the city.

Many studies over the years revealed the amount of waste and carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from various cruise lines, and cities like Amsterdam cited such studies to support their decision to ban cruise ships.

More than 100 cruise ships come to the city each year, with complaints going beyond mere pollution. According to members of several political parties in the city, including D66 Amsterdam, the sheer number of tourists docking and letting loose in the city for several hours has been met with negativity by locals and the government.

Even tourists disembarking from these cruise ships also found problems. With so many tourists docking in city center for a limited amount of time, lines to see top attractions and museums meant hardly anyone had time to see these sites before having to return to the ship. Amsterdam’s council is also currently working to ban cannabis smoking in the red-light district. And, just this past March, the city launched a campaign encouraging young British men to hold bachelor parties elsewhere.

That said, Amsterdam isn’t trying to shut away tourists and close fun sites. In fact, the city recently outlined a goal to find nightclub locations like disused garages and tunnels to foster creativity and socializing.

According to the official website of Cruise Port Amsterdam, this port alone has welcomed more than 3.8 million passengers and more than 2,100 ships since opening in 2000.

Amsterdam isn’t the first destination to try and curb cruise ships and overtourism. In late 2020, residents of Key West, Florida, voted to ban giant ships, overturned just one year later. In Italy, the government said large cruise ships would no longer be allowed to sail directly into Venice as of August 2021 and, while this decision remains in effect, the results are complicated.

Many small coastal towns across the world want to curb the number and size of large cruise ships. In Barcelona, Spain, city councilors and residents continue to battle with port authorities over cruise tourism, with an estimated 25,000 tourists arriving into the city every day.

Other cities’ remarks over massive cruise ships and overtourism leads many to believe more cities will soon follow suit. Marseilles is France’s biggest cruise port, and its mayor has spoken negatively of the cruise industry.

In Monterey Bay, California, after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic saw no cruise ships dock on its shores, the city made it clear it doesn’t want them to return. And while Monterey Bay doesn’t hold the power to outright ban cruise ships, the city removed passenger landing services. This means cruise operators need to hire staff to process passengers at the dock.

Have you taken a cruise to Amsterdam before? Do you agree with this ban in Amsterdam in other cities? Do you think the pros for banning ships outweighs the cons of harming cruise lines? Tell us your thoughts. Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.