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alerts. Good to be back. So today we are looking
at what I think is a fascinating split -screen
moment happening in the cruise world. It really
feels like it's pulling in two opposite directions
at the same time. Exactly. On one side of the
Atlantic, you've got these major U .S. ports,
you know, pouring concrete, spending billions,
basically rolling out a giant red carpet for
bigger and bigger ships. And then on the other
side, you look at these historic European capitals,
and they're trying to hang up a giant Do Not
Disturb sign. It's this exact tension expansion
versus restriction that we're going to unpack
today because cruise ports are, I mean, they
are actively reshaping the future right now.
Right. Some are building out to handle what they
see as unstoppable demand, and others are deciding
that the demand itself is actually the problem.
It really gets to a fundamental question, doesn't
it? What is a port city today? Is it a commercial
engine, a gateway for tourism? Or is it a protected
space for residents where these massive ships
are seen more and more as an intrusion. To dig
into this, we've got three big stories lined
up. First, we'll head to Los Angeles, where they
are betting big on a next generation terminal.
Then we'll check in on New Orleans, a real consistent
performer that just hit another huge passenger
milestone. And then the big one. We have to talk
about Amsterdam, where the city is seriously
weighing a total ban on ocean cruise ships by
2035. A huge story. It is. But OK, let's start
on the West Coast. The Port of Los Angeles has
just picked a developer for a massive new project.
They've tapped a group called Pacific Cruise
Terminals, or PCT. And when you look into who
PCT actually is, it's pretty interesting. It
is. It's a joint venture. You have Carricks,
a big Seattle -based terminal operator, you know,
the folks who know how to run the docks. And
the other half is JLC Infrastructure out of New
York. Right. And that's a name that probably
jumps out to a lot of people. It's the Magic
Johnson connection, right? JLC was co -founded
by Irvin Magic Johnson and Jim Reynolds. It was.
Yeah. And look, it's always interesting to see
celebrity investment, but I think the real story
here is what it signifies. OK. You don't get
a major infrastructure fund like JLC involved
in something like a cruise terminal unless they
see it as a stable long -term asset. They see
decades of reliable income. So they're not just
flipping it, they see it as a toll booth that's
going to be collecting money for a long, long
time. For a very long time. Yeah. And the scope
of what they're building really backs that up.
This isn't just a new coat of paint. No, it's
a two -part deal. First... A brand new outer
harbor cruise terminal. And second, they're taking
over and redeveloping the entire existing World
Cruise Center in San Pedro. Which has been around
since 1988. It's an institution. It is, but that
outer harbor part is the real game changer here.
The older terminals, they're often deep inside
the port. Which has to be a headache for these
huge new ships to navigate. It's a nightmare.
The outer harbor means easier access, faster
turnarounds, and most importantly, it can handle
the sheer size of the next generation of ships.
And the descriptions of this new terminal, they
don't sound like a typical port building, a big
warehouse where you just stand in line. No, the
renderings look incredible. A modern circular
structure with berths on both sides. It's treating
the terminal like it's part of the vacation itself?
That's the idea. They're integrating it with
the waterfront. They're planning a central grassy
park, outdoor seating. It's meant to be a destination.
And it's built for the newer generations of ships,
specifically. And it's future proof. With the
shore power capability. Yes, that's becoming
non -negotiable. The newest, most profitable
ships require it. If you can't plug them in,
they might just skip your port altogether. And
the numbers seem to back up this kind of investment.
2025 was a record year for LA. 241 cruise calls,
1 .6 million passengers. I mean, those are huge
numbers. The West Coast market is a year -round
powerhouse now. And the economic impact, the
port says, is about $1 .3 million for every single
ship call. So do the math on that for 2025. It's
over $300 million. And that explains everything.
That's why you pour the concrete. LA is making
a very clear play to be the undisputed West Coast
gateway for cruising. Okay, so LA is building
for the future. Let's shift over to the Gulf
Coast. New Orleans isn't building a giant circular
terminal, but man, they are proving their staying
power. The consistent performer for sure. Port
and LA just announced they topped one million
cruise passenger movements again in 2025. And
the context there is so important. That's the
ninth consecutive year they've crossed that million
mark if you take out the pandemic years. That
shows incredible resilience. A lot of ports would
love to have that kind of sustained demand. Now
I was looking at the data and the 2025 total
about 1 .0 six million was actually a little
bit lower than 2024. Should we read into that
dip? I don't think so, because if you look at
the monthly numbers, the story is actually the
opposite. OK. March of 2025 was the single highest
month in the port's entire history. Over one
hundred and sixty five thousand passenger movements.
So the peaks are actually getting higher, even
if the annual number flattened out a bit. Exactly.
Yeah. And that could just come down to a ship's
dry dock schedule or repositioning. The underlying
demand is still incredibly strong. So what's
the secret sauce for New Orleans? I mean, beyond
being an amazing city to visit? It has a totally
unique selling point in the U .S. market. It's
the only home port that supports both ocean cruises
and river cruises. That's a huge distinction.
It is. From one city, you can get on a massive
ship to the Caribbean, or you can board a riverboat
to go up the Mississippi. It creates this really
diverse tourism ecosystem. It really does. And
it protects them from shifts in any one part
of the market. And they're gearing up for more
growth, too. Royal Caribbean is coming back.
And Carnival is upgrading their ship there. Right.
They're bringing in the Carnival Dream to replace
the smaller Carnival Valor. A bigger ship just
means more passengers per sailing. Simple math.
It's an efficiency play. And when you look at
the economics. $445 million annually for the
region. And the fact that 90 % of those cruisers
come from out of state. That's new money. People
flying in, staying in hotels, eating in the restaurants
before they even get on the ship. It's a massive
boost for the local economy. So the story in
the U .S. is clear. Build it bigger, break more
records, bring us more people. Which brings us
to the screeching halt we're seeing across the
Atlantic. Let's fly over to Amsterdam because
while LA and New Orleans are celebrating, Amsterdam
is effectively saying we might be done. It's
such a stark contrast. The coalition government
there is seriously weighing a proposal for a
full phase out of ocean going cruise ships by
2035. And let's be clear, this isn't just limiting
ships. This is a potential ban and everybody
out order for the big ocean laners. That's what's
on the table. Now, to be precise, it's not a
final law yet. The next administration has to
take it up after the elections in March 2026.
But the political momentum is undeniable. I remember
just a few years ago, the whole discussion was
about moving the terminal, wasn't it? moving
it from the city center out to the Western Harbor.
That was the plan. That was seen as the compromise.
But now officials like Mayor Halsma are looking
at the price tag. How much was it going to cost?
Over 85 million euros. And they're looking at
that number and basically saying we're not sure
we'll ever get a return on that investment. So
the thinking has shifted from let's move the
problem to. Let's just eliminate the problem.
Pretty much. And here's the crazy part. They've
calculated that banning the ships will cost them
money too. About 46 million euros in lost revenue
over 30 years. Wait, hold on. So it costs 85
million to move the terminal, but only costs
them 46 million to ban the ships entirely. In
terms of direct cost versus lost revenue? Yes.
It's actually cheaper for them to just say goodbye.
That's a stunning calculation for a city to make.
It is. And they're arguing that the loss is worth
it for what they call livability. Better air
quality, less overtourism. And there's an urban
planning issue at play here too, isn't there?
A huge one. The city has plans to build new bridge
over the IJ River to connect some neighborhoods.
And the current cruise terminal is physically
in the way. The ships are too tall. The terminal
blocks the bridge. It's a classic case of a city
deciding that connecting its own residents is
more important than housing these massive visiting
ships. So even before this potential 2035 ban,
things are getting tighter right now. Oh, definitely.
The gap on ship calls has already been slashed
from 190 a year down to 100. And the goal is
no more than one ocean ship per day starting
in 2026. Plus mandatory shore power by 2027.
It's a major clampdown. But there's a really
important nuance here. This is for ocean ships.
What about the river cruises? The river cruises
are safe. This is the crucial distinction. And
there are a lot of them. A lot. Around 11 in
150 calls a year are expected to continue. The
city sees them differently. They're smaller.
They use different docks. And they don't loom
over the historic center like... as one politician
put it, floating apartment blocks. Floating apartment
blocks. That quote says it all, doesn't it? It's
really about quality of life versus pure revenue.
So if I'm a cruise line and I can't get a spot
in Amsterdam, where do I go? Go to Rotterdam.
Which is not the same thing. Not at all. It's
a great city, but it's about an hour away by
bus or train. Yeah. And we're already seeing
lines like Carnival and Celebrity do this. So
they dock in Rotterdam and then just bus everyone
for an hour to see Amsterdam. Yep. Put them on
a bus, drive them in, let them wander around
for a few hours, bus them back. That feels like
a real downgrade to the passenger experience.
That's two hours of your day gone. It is. But
the demand to see Amsterdam is just that high.
But it changes the visit. It turns the city into
just another day trip excursion. Not a true port
of call where you wake up in the heart of it
all. And this isn't just an Amsterdam thing,
is it? This feels like a broader European trend.
It's definitely not just Amsterdam. You look
at Barcelona. They're closing city center terminals.
The French Riviera has limits on ship size. And
Greece is talking about new passenger taxes for
the islands. The pendulum is swinging back hard
against mass cruise tourism in these historic
centers. The golden age of docking right next
to the cathedral seems to be coming to an end.
I think you're right. Okay, fascinating stuff.
Before we get to our final thought, let's hit
a few other stories in our News Brief segment.
Let's do it. First, Princess Cruises in Asia.
The Diamond Princess is adding destination -driven
dining. A very smart move. They're adding a high
-end sushi restaurant and their Crown Grill.
It shows they know you can't just serve generic
food to the Japanese market. It has to be authentic
and high quality. Back to California, the Blue
Whales and Blue Skies program. Yeah, this is
the voluntary speed reduction program. Slow steaming.
To protect whales. Protect whales from strikes
and also to cut down on air pollution. More cruise
lines are joining for 2026. It's just becoming
an expectation of doing business on the California
coast. Quick one from Royal Caribbean. They're
moving up the debut of Legend of the Seas. To
July 4th, 2026. You only do that if bookings
are incredibly strong. It shows the demand for
those big resort style ships in Europe is still
booming, even as some cities push back. And finally,
a leadership note. Captain Berger Vorland of
the Crystal Serenity is retiring. It's the end
of an era. He was a steady hand through Crystal's
bankruptcy and its relaunch. His retirement really
feels like the brand is officially moving into
its next chapter under new ownership. A big moment
for that crew. Okay, let's bring it all together.
We've got LA building a massive cruise hub where
the port is a destination and Amsterdam saying
the ship no longer fits the city. A complete
split. So what's the big takeaway? Where is this
all heading? Well, here's a provocative thought
for you. As these ships keep getting bigger,
like the ones LA is specifically building for,
are we actually seeing the end of city center
cruising? What do you mean by that? The end of
it? I mean, think about it. If the only places
that can handle these mega ships are huge industrial
style hubs like San Pedro or Rotterdam, are we
witnessing a geographic separation of the ship
from the city? So the ship and the destination
are kind of getting a divorce. Exactly. Is the
future that historic cities just become backdrops
you take an hour long bus ride to see? The ship
itself becomes the primary destination and the
actual city. It's just another shore excursion
on the list. That's a really interesting thought.
Are you booking a trip to visit a city or are
you just booking a trip to visit a port? That's
the question we all need to start asking. Well
on that note, we're going to dock this episode
right here. Thanks for listening to Cruise News.
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