Cruise lines tell Juneau assembly they will end 'hot birthing' in town, test biofuels and shorten the season in 2026

Cruise-line representatives told the Juneau City and Borough assembly at a Committee of the Whole work session on April 24 that they have agreed to a set of operational changes for the 2026 Alaska season intended to reduce local crowding and emissions.

At the meeting, a Norwegian Cruise Line representative said the lines developed “a solution for hot birthing” and that, in 2026, Juneau would see only one ship on the Tuesday that previously had multiple arrivals. The representative said the industry also plans to cut roughly two weeks from the start of its pre-season and about three weeks from the end of the post-season to avoid early- and late-season pressure on local services.

Those steps are part of several measures cruise lines said they are taking to reduce environmental and community impacts. Carnival-brands' representative Robert Morgenstern said the company is already using biofuel blends in its motor coach fleet and plans a shipboard biofuel demonstration this summer in coordination with the Port of Seattle. “We’re actually using biofuel in…