Amsterdam has decided to ban cruise ships from the city center as part of their efforts to limit visitor numbers and reduce pollution. The decision was proposed by the D66 party, which believes that cruises are not in line with the city’s sustainability goals.

The ban includes closing Amsterdam’s cruise ship terminal located east of the main railway station. The move could affect various cruise lines such as Holland America Line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and others. This decision comes after the city launched a ‘Stay Away’ campaign to discourage rowdy behavior and excessive drug and alcohol abuse.

Similarly, the mayor of Marseille’s largest cruise port started a petition to prohibit the most polluting ships from stopping over in the city.

The ban on cruise ships in Amsterdam’s city center is part of a larger effort to combat over-tourism and address concerns over crowding at popular cruise destinations in Europe and other places. Venice in Italy also decided to disallow large cruise ships from sailing directly into the city in 2021. Dubrovnik, Croatia, had previously taken measures to limit the number of cruise passengers visiting at once. Similarly, residents of Key West voted to ban giant cruise ships in 2020, but the decision was later overturned.