• Cruise passengers were unable to exit their ship for hours after a protest was staged at the cruise port in Amsterdam.
• Protestors took to kayaks and inflatables to crowd the harbour and keep Celebrity Eclipse from docking.
• The protest group responsable has signalled their intention to continue these protests.

An anti-cruise protest staged in Amsterdam meant that Celebrity Eclipse was initially unable to dock. The protest was staged by protest group The Extinction Rebellion, and around 30 protesters took to kayaks, smaller boats and inflatables to crowd the dock and prevent the large ship from docking.

Images show how the protestors took to the water, holding banners with phrases such as “Cruising is cringe” and “Cruise is polluting our planet”. 

They were there as early as 4am in the morning, to prepare for the 6am arrival of the Celebrity Cruises ship. The protestors held their ground for about two hours, before authorities intervened and at least five people from the demonstration were arrested. 

The ship was eventually able to dock and is already off on its next itineraries.

View photos of the dramatic protest below.

The protest group wrote on their Facebook page: “Dabbling in boats, canoes and inflatable animals, 30 rebels again took action against the cruise industry. This time we stopped the cruise ship the Celebrity Eclipse (2,850 passengers and 1,200 crew members) from docking at the Passengers Terminal Amsterdam.

“We protest with this blockade against the harmful influence of cruise ships on humans, nature and the climate.”

“Crusie ships are floating environmental disasters. They should not be allowed in Dutch waters. We demand strict and binding national and international environmental standards and regulations, as well as strict enforcement and sanctions policy. We will continue with actions like this until this harmful tourist industry is banned from Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands.”

The group made it clear their intent is to continue these protets.

The story caught headlines across the cruise world, but failed to capture the attention of mainstream media.

The group has a history of delaying and sometimes even preventing port calls of cruise ships.

Cruising and Amsterdam

In recent years, Amsterdam has had a tumultuous relationship with cruise, with the city signalling an intent to largely push cruise to the side.

The town has already placed cruise caps, of only 100 ship calls per year, and more importantly, is looking to move the port completely away from the city centre.

About 1.5% of overall tourism to Amsterdam comes from cruise, with the city projected to start seeing more than 20 million visitors annually over the coming years.

The city is also undertaking strategies to limit other types of tourism, but it definitely seems to point the finger towards cruise as a key cause of its overtourism. However, as the numbers show, even eliminating cruise wouldn’t make much of a dent in the city’s overall tourism numbers. 

By 2027, only cruise ships with shore power capabilities will be able to dock in the town, meaning pollution and contamination should be limited.

Frank M

Frank is a seasoned travel journalist with over a decade of experience covering hospitality, cruise, and air travel.

He has traveled extensively by land, sea, and air, collaborating with industry giants like Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, and Carnival Corp. His work has been featured in major international and industry publications across four continents.