Juneau, Alaska—a place where the moose have historically ruled the land—is now taking steps to ensure they don’t lose their VIP status to hordes of camera-wielding tourists. Starting in 2026, the city will cap the number of daily cruise ship passengers to mitigate the impact of tourism. It’s the first time Juneau has said, "Enough is enough," and meant it.

The new agreement, praised by some and jeered by many, limits cruise passengers to a max of 16,000 from Sunday through Friday and a more modest 12,000 on Saturdays, presumably to give the moose some quiet time on the weekends (CBS, Fox). With 1.6 million cruise passengers swarming the town last year, the city's been busier than a shopping mall on Black Friday, only with fewer sales and more complaints from the locals.

In addition to passenger limits, the agreement promises some much-needed infrastructure improvements. Picture this: a gondola to aid with your sightseeing, an updated downtown sea walk that won’t trip you at every other step, and an expanded visitor capacity at the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Because nothing says, "We want fewer tourists," like building more things to attract tourists (CBS, Fox).

A separate agreement restricts the number of large ships to five per day during the current cruise season. Yes, you read that right: only five gargantuan ships docking per day. Sorry, sixth ship, it’s first come, first served (Fox, CBS).

To monitor and fine-tune the agreement, the city manager and cruise line executives will meet annually. It's a bit like a yearly high school reunion where everyone pretends they’ve kept their resolutions while secretly breaking them halfway through January (Fox).

Of course, critics argue the agreement doesn’t go far enough. They believe the levels of tourism remain unsustainable and are harsher than a winter in Alaska. Protesters have proposed a local ballot initiative that would ban ships with at least 250 passengers from even thinking about stopping in Juneau on Saturdays or July 4th. That’s right: on Independence Day, the only stars and stripes Juneau wants to see are those fluttering in the Alaskan breeze (Fox, CBS).

Juneau’s visitor industry director, Alexandra Pierce, stated that the agreement aims to make current tourism levels feel more sustainable. “Sustainable” might be the key word, but whether that reflects on moose-friendly sidewalks or less crowded photo ops at the glacier remains to be seen (CBS, Fox).

As the harsh winds of critique blow through Juneau, just remember: if you miss your chance to dock in Juneau, there’s always Anchorage. But for now, let's all raise a glass to the moose, the true VIPs of Alaska who finally get their weekends back—passenger-free.