• The town of Juneau is looking at introducing a seasonal sales tax structure.
• This would mean the towns current 5 per cent sales tax would bump up to 7.5 per cent in the busier summer months.
• The town will vote on the proposal at its next assembly.

The small Alaskan town of Juneau appears perpetually locked in a battle of searching for ways to better manage the huge flow of cruise ship traffic that it sees each summer. 

After a campaign financed by the cruise industry was successful in preventing Juneau’s ‘ship free Saturdays’ concept, the town is testing other strategies to limit cruise ship traffic.

It previously increased port fees and now appears to have a new strategy aimed at managing the cruise ship masses.

The Juneau Assembly will vote on a new seasonal sales tax system next year that would increase sales tax during the summer months, when most cruise ships arrive.

Juneau currently has a 5 per cent local sales tax, but this proposal would raise that to 7.5 per cent from April to September, and lower it to 3.5 per cent during the winter months, from October through to March.

Other Alaskan towns such as Skagway and Ketchikan already have tax structures like these.

Juneau assembly member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs said: “In what is an increasingly seasonal economy, it makes sense to capture maximum yield when you have all these folks in town.”

A local sales tax is simply a consumption fee for goods and services. For example, if this proposal went ahead, whether a cruise passenger is booking a local tour, buying lunch in a restaurant or buying a museum ticket, this would come with a 7.5 per cent sales tax. Compared to the current rate, this would equate to $2.50 more of taxes per each $100 spent.

The City and Borough of Juneau has previously clarified to Cruise Passenger, that the town is not anti-cruise. They just simply need to be able to control and manage cruise ship traffic in order to continue giving a satisfactory experience to visitors.

“I think it’s important to note that the limits we have put in place are to allow us to make infrastructure and other improvements to be able to handle the volume we are seeing today. Cruise tourism is vital to our local economy, and we are proud of the number of local businesses and year-round jobs that the industry supports.

“However, we want to make sure we are managing our visitation in a way that maintains our visitor economy while ensuring that the boom doesn’t turn into a bust.”

Cruise ship traffic in Alaska has seen a huge boost over recent years, and the small Alaskan towns that see thousands of cruise passengers dock nearly every day for half the year, have been struggling to keep up.The cruise industry is suing the small town of Skagway, for attempting to place a tax on cruise ship shore excursions.

Last year 470,000 votes were cast for more than 100 destinations and travel companies. For 2025 the four cruise awards could be anybody’s, given the speed at which this exciting sector changes. But first, a look back at past winners.

The 2024 winners

Last year was a triumphant one for Viking Cruises, which scooped best luxury ocean cruise operator and best river cruise operator. HX Hurtigruten Expeditions won best adventure cruise operator, while Hurtigruten, known and loved for its voyages up and down the Norwegian coast, was voted best ocean cruise operator.

The ascent and descent

The cruise industry is constantly changing, with new operators entering the business all the time. Last year you voted Hurtigruten best ocean cruise operator; the year before P&O Cruises won the top gong; in 2022 you chose Royal Caribbean.

Over the past 12 months snazzy new ships have been launched by MSC Cruises, NCL, Disney Cruise Line and Princess. Could one of those take the crown this year? Or maybe it’ll be Celebrity Cruises, about to launch Celebrity Xcel, which promises to be its most innovative ship yet? Or perhaps it could be Virgin Voyages, which continues to push boundaries with its edgy, adults-only cruises.

• Best Celebrity cruise ships
• Best MSC cruise ships
• Best Princess cruise ships

The luxury cruise sector is just as fast-paced. Last year we expanded the categories for cruise to separate luxury from mainstream ocean cruises, simply because there are so many cruise lines and we wanted to create a fairer playing field. Viking was our first luxury winner, with Silversea and Saga Cruises taking second and third.

Ultra-luxury is one of the fastest growing sectors in cruise. In 2023 the much-loved Crystal made a comeback under the ownership of Abercrombie & Kent. Explora Journeys, the luxury division of MSC Cruises, is also making waves — this opulent brand launched in 2023 but will inaugurate its third ship in 2026. Then there’s Oceania Cruises, once a mid-market line with older vessels that is giving the poshest lines a run for their money with its glossy new ships, the latest of which, Allura, launched in July 2025.

• Discover our full guide to cruise holidays

Expedition cruising is growing at a rate of knots too. It seems that we can’t get enough of exploring the polar regions and, increasingly, tropical destinations from the Seychelles and the Galapagos to the remote islands of West Papua in Indonesia. The competition is hot, from Viking’s sleek pair of expedition vessels to the ultra-luxury experience offered by lines such as Silversea, Seabourn and Scenic.

Experience clearly counts. HX Hurtigruten Expeditions — the 2024 winner — stems from a company that has been in business since 1893, and the line’s MS Roald Amundsen was the first hybrid battery-supported ship to sail to Antarctica.

The river-cruising award could, arguably, be seen as more of a given, with Viking having won the category for the past three years. But Riviera Travel came second each time — can the British-owned line reach the top spot this year? With three brand-new ships on European rivers (two this year and one in 2026), Riviera is certainly one to watch. Then there are Tui’s new, affordable Nile cruises.

Or will all of these lines be eclipsed by luxurious AmaWaterways, which — ambitiously — has just launched river cruises in Colombia? Or will it be the over-50s specialist Saga, which takes care of details right down to a chauffeured car to the airport?

It’s your choice, so vote now.

• Vote in the 2025 awards here — and be in with a chance of winning a great prize

Why they won

What makes the perfect cruise is highly subjective, but Viking certainly seems to have captured your imagination with its ocean and river cruises. Its 16 oceangoing ships are the ideal size, carrying either 930 or 998 passengers in light-filled balcony cabins. They’re small enough not to feel overwhelming and big enough to offer a decent choice of restaurants, classy entertainment and a gorgeous spa.

And the decor . . . what’s not to love about soothing Scandi-chic? There are thoughtful touches everywhere, from reindeer skins draped artfully over the back of sofas to a moss garden in the atrium reflecting the colours of the Nordic landscape. Having just disembarked from Viking Neptune, I’m convinced that Viking should open a furniture emporium, as just about everything was covetable.

Viking’s river cruises also have exploration down to a fine art. Daily excursions are included in the price and there’s an impressive onboard programme of lectures, immersive activities and local entertainment. The company has access to some of the best docking spaces on European rivers too, so you won’t have a long trek to get into whatever enchanting riverside town you’re visiting. Perhaps Viking’s global reach also helped it to win your hearts; by 2026 the line will have ten ships in Egypt, not to mention a strong presence on the Mekong and the Mississippi.

• Best river cruises in the world

Scandi style is clearly close to your hearts as Hurtigruten and HX Hurtigruten Expeditions — two more Norwegian-founded brands — won the ocean and expedition awards, respectively, in 2024. Hurtigruten epitomises slow travel at its best with its dreamy, year-round voyages along the fjord-indented Norwegian coast, stopping at 34 ports. If you want to see the northern lights — and I say this from experience — the Coastal Express (which is really anything but express) is one of the best ways to do so, as the full journey takes you deep into the Arctic. I snowmobiled over the mountains in the far north from one port to the next and will never forget the rippling colours in the sky that night. I love Hurtigruten’s Coastal Kitchen menus, packed with locally sourced ingredients, too; you can even visit the goat farm in Lofoten that supplies cheese and other items to the ships.

Although HX Hurtigruten Expeditions is a separate company from Hurtigruten, its values are the same — which might explain its success in our expedition category. The support of scientific research on its polar expedition ships, the ethical supply chain and its two newest polar expedition ships being run partly on battery power make HX a champion of sustainability.

• Best luxury cruises to Antarctica

Your voice matters: vote in the 2025 awards

What are your good or bad cruise experiences? Share them with us and cast your votes for the 2025 awards. There are four cruise categories again this year, so don’t miss your chance to show your appreciation for your favourite cruise lines.

• Have your say here — and be in with a chance of winning a great prize

Key Aspects:

• Four Carnival Pride passengers were arrested in Kings Wharf port, Bermuda.
• Bermuda Police Services said suspects were said to be carrying deadly drugs with intent to sell.
• If found guilty, the guests face severe penalties under both US and Bermudian law.

Four cruise passengers aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship were arrested in Bermuda after allegedly attempting to bring a stash of illegal drugs ashore.

According to local police, the cruise line’s onboard security detained the passengers and turned them over to authorities upon the ship’s arrival in Bermuda.

Carnival Pride, one of three Carnival Cruise Line ships that regularly call in Kings Wharf, Bermuda, arrived in the port on July 21, 2025.

The 88,500-gross-ton ship sails 7-night itineraries from Baltimore, Maryland, to Kings Wharf, where passengers enjoy an overnight call.

But the four passengers detained spent their arrival behind bars after police confirmed the group was in possession of cannabis, THC vape pens and gummies, and a package containing carfentanyl.

The police believe the passengers planned to sell the drugs while they were in port.

Acting Detective Superintendent Derrick Burns of the Bermuda Police Service highlighted the dangers of the substances found on the passengers in a statement.

“Carfentanyl is about 100 times stronger than fentanyl and was originally used to sedate large animals like elephants,” she said. 

The Bermuda Police Service says its Narcotics Unit is actively investigating the case. No further details have been issued by the police or Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Pride is sailing back to Baltimore on July 23, 2025, with up to 2,134 guests and will arrive at its homeport on July 27.

When it departs, Carnival Sunshine will arrive on its frequent 6-night route from Norfolk, Virginia.

Although Bermuda passenger counts have been declining, Carnival Venezia, which sails out of New York, also spends time in Kings Wharf.

Serious Penalties May Follow

Both US and Bermudian authorities maintain strict policies regarding the possession and transport of illegal drugs but others took to social media to complain that US Customs and Border Control should have found and seized the drugs before they left the US.

“How on earth did the US miss such a huge bust on their side?” wrote one. 

Still, many praised the collaborative work of the Carnival Cruise Line crew and Bermuda authorities.

“Good job, heads up for catching these criminals,” said a Bermudian local. “We don’t want any type of drugs on this little rock. Glad they seized the drugs.”

Read Also: Bermuda Cruise Port: Docks, Getting Around and What’s Nearby

Bermuda has a zero-tolerance stance on drug importation and the cruise guests face criminal charges that can lead to heavy fines and prison time, according to the US Consulate General Bermuda.

“Many drug-related arrests of American citizen visitors are made each year, and there are several American citizens serving extensive prison sentences in Bermuda,” it said.

The detained cruise passengers are actually subject to enforcement under both jurisdictions.

In the United States, US Customs and Border Protection enforces federal laws and the Controlled Substances Import and Export Act is one such law with fines up to $5 million and prison sentences from up to 20 years to life.

Carnival Cruise Line also has a zero-tolerance policy due to the federal regulations. Not only are passengers found in possession reported to authorities, but they are also removed from the ship and banned from cruise line for life.

The passengers are also responsible for all expenses to return home with no refund for unused cruise fare.