Amsterdam wants cruise ships gone from the city center within ten years
The political leadership in Amsterdam wants to relocate the city’s passenger cruise terminal by 2035 so that it is no longer in the city center. The number of cruise ships allowed to dock at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam (PTA) will also be halved starting in 2026, the city’s Executive Board set on Thursday.
By cutting down the number of cruise ships, the city wants to combat overtourism and improve the quality of life for residents. Last year, the full City Council adopted a motion from D66 calling for cruise ships to be banned from the center, and the cruise terminal to be relocated. In April, the Board also announced its intention to also halve the number of river cruises in the city.
Currently, 190 cruises are allowed to dock annually at the PTA near Amsterdam Centraal Station. That will be capped at a maximum of a hundred 18 months from now. Those ships that do arrive in the city center will also be required to use shore power starting in 2027 as a measure to cut down on emissions and reduce noise pollution.
The PTA currently has two berths for cruise ships, but that will also be cut to one from 2027, the Executive Board added. The Board is comprised of the mayor and the aldermen from the various coalition parties elected locally.
“Sea cruises are a polluting form of tourism and contributes to crowds and emissions in the city. By limiting sea cruises, requiring shore power and aiming for the cruise terminal (PTA) to move from its current location in 2035, the Board is responsibly respond to the City Council’s proposal to stop sea cruising,” said Alderman Hester van Buren, whose portfolio includes policies related to the port.
Rotterdam is prepared to take over forty sea cruises that will no longer be allowed to dock in Amsterdam starting in 2026. For the capital, this means a dip in revenue. Aside from the fact that fewer cruise tourists will spend money in the city, income from tourist taxes also fall.
The city will also receive a lower dividend payment as a shareholder of the Port Authority. This will be included in the next Spring Memorandum, an annual update on the budget.
“No consequences of this decision are yet expected in the 2025 budget,” the alderman said.
It is still being investigated whether the passenger terminal can be moved from its current location on the Veemkade to the Coenhaven. “Based on this feasibility study, the Board will decide in consultation with the national government, the Port Authority and the province of Noord-Holland whether relocation is feasible from 2035.”
