Juneau residents are set to vote on a proposal to ban large cruise ships on Saturdays and July 4 during the October 1 municipal election, unless the Juneau Assembly takes action by August 15. The petition for the "Ship-Free Saturday" initiative has garnered the required 2,359 signatures to qualify for the ballot, as confirmed by the City and Borough of Juneau’s municipal clerk’s office. City Manager Katie Koester plans to provide an FAQ on the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) website to inform residents about the initiative.

The "Ship-Free Saturday" initiative seeks to prevent cruise ships with a capacity of 250 passengers or more from docking, mooring, or disembarking passengers in Juneau on the specified days. Despite anticipated opposition from the cruise industry and local business leaders, lead petitioner Karla Hart believes voter support will follow, emphasizing that residents' personal experiences with the cruise industry will outweigh the opponents' campaign spending. A previous effort in 2021, which included a similar measure, failed partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hart noted that the current proposal was the most popular during the signature collection process.

Opposition group Protect Juneau’s Future argues that the cruise industry significantly contributes to Juneau's economy, estimating $375 million in direct spending in 2023. The group, which includes local business leaders and organizations, is confident that voters will reject the measure once informed of its economic implications. Cruise industry leaders point to existing voluntary agreements limiting ship numbers and a passenger cap set for 2026 as efforts to mitigate tourism impacts. Juneau Mayor Beth Weldon and Assembly member Christine Woll stress the importance of presenting neutral information to voters, with planned FAQs addressing economic impacts, industry agreements, and legal considerations.