A new agreement would limit cruise passengers in Alaska's capital. A critic says it falls short

abcnews.go.com:

A new agreement between Alaska’s capital city and major cruise lines seeks to cap the daily number of cruise ship passengers arriving in Juneau starting in 2026

JUNEAU, Alaska — A new agreement between Alaska’s capital city and major cruise lines seeks to cap the daily number of cruise ship passengers arriving in Juneau starting in 2026, though a prominent critic of the cruise industry said Tuesday the planned limits do not do enough.

The agreement, finalized late last week, seeks a daily limit of 16,000 cruise passengers Sundays through Fridays and 12,000 on Saturdays. However, officials said that doesn't necessarily mean there will be that many people every day.

Cruise passengers numbers ramped up rapidly after two pandemic-stunted years, hitting a record of more than 1.6 million passengers in Juneau last year. That's caused tension between businesses that rely on tourism and residents who are fed up with increased traffic, busy trails and the hum of helicopters ferrying visitors to glaciers.

Cruise seasons also have gotten longer, with the first boat this year arriving in Juneau in early April and the last set to arrive in late October. On peak days in the past, passenger numbers have totaled about two-thirds of Juneau's population of roughly 32,000 people.

A daily limit of five large ships took effect with the current season, as part of a separate agreement signed last year.

Alexandra Pierce, Juneau’s visitor industry director, said Tuesday that the aim with the current agreement is to hold cruise passenger numbers roughly steady, in the 1.6 million range.

“The idea is that the agreement buys everybody time not only to see if it is sustainable but also to build the infrastructure that will help it feel more