Disney cruise ship sails past Amsterdam due to Extinction Rebellion blockade

The cruise ship Disney Dream, which was supposed to arrive in Amsterdam on September 6, is sailing past the capital. A booking website reported this on social media platform X. The shipping company fears that it will not be able to dock in Amsterdam "due to problems with access to the port." In recent weeks, Extinction Rebellion activists have blocked the lock at IJmuiden in protest against cruise ships.

A Facebook group shared an email from Disney Cruise Line informing travelers of the changed itinerary. In this email, the cruise line speaks of "problems beyond our control" without explaining them in more detail. As compensation, the shipping company is offering travelers a credit of 250 dollars (around 224 euros) to spend on board. The ship, which leaves Southampton next Sunday, will sail on to Zeebrugge, Belgium, via Hamburg, where it will now stay for two days instead of one.

Disney has not confirmed that the 340-meter-long ship, which can accommodate 4,000 passengers, is avoiding Amsterdam because of XR's measures. The sea lock in IJmuiden was blocked for the last time on Saturday, according to the Telegraaf.

XR Protesters stood or chained themselves to the lock to prevent a cruise ship from entering. Shipping traffic that had to pass through the lock was held up for around two to three hours. The lock was reopened to shipping traffic in the early evening.