A Popular California City Is Banning Cruise Ships, Here’s Why
The city of Monterey, California, has effectively banned all cruise ships after a vote terminated all city services for them.
For cities along the West and East Coasts of the U.S., cruise ships are all but inevitable. Whether the cities are simply a waypoint to a more exotic destination or the destination themselves, cruise ships can bolster the local economy, but many argue that they’re more trouble than they’re worth. That’s why the city of Monterey, California has effectively banned all cruise ships after a vote terminated all city services for them.
The city of Monterey is right on the coast, about two hours south of San Francisco. A much smaller city than many of its neighbors, Monterey is known for its scenic beauty—with stunning views of the wide, blue Monterey Bay—and its lush, diverse marine wildlife. Monterey has long been a protector of its ecological bounty, and the California city’s termination of cruise ship services is just another step toward eco-preservation.
While the recent vote doesn’t outright ban cruise ships from visiting Monterey, it is very difficult for them to do so without the aid of city services. According to Travel & Leisure, The Monterey City Council passed the termination with a tight 3-2 vote, with the environment being a strong motivation behind the vote. One council member said that people don’t visit Monterey for the ships in the bay, but for the beautiful views and lush natural scenery—both of which cruise ships inhibited.
Others said that the Monterey, California, cruise ship ban was intended to protect Monterey’s environment, citing the responsibility to care for their little “piece of the planet.” Monterey hasn’t seen cruise ships in the harbor since the city suspended them in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ban will now, for all intents and purposes, be permanent. Before 2020, it was not unusual for Monterey to see up to a dozen cruise ships each year parked in their harbor.
Several cruise ships were previously scheduled to visit Monterey this year and will have to develop alternate routes, perhaps harboring in other California cities. Many cruise lines have loyal customers who won’t travel any other way, but many cities find the gargantuan ships and sudden influx of people to be more hindrance than help for the local economy. Monterey isn’t the only city to ban cruise ships; just three months ago, Bar Harbor, Maine, capped the amount of disembarking cruise visitors to 1,000 total, a real struggle for most cruise lines that have far more guests than that on board.
The cruise industry suffered during COVID-19 and is just now starting to see similar numbers as before 2020, but many people learned to travel in different ways in the absence of cruise availability. COVID-19 forced lots of people into solo travel, road trips, or time in nature, and the priorities of many travelers have changed as a result. Monterey, California, is one of the first cities to outright ban cruise ships, but it likely won’t be the last; only time will tell if the cruise industry can survive yet another obstacle to its success.
