In December 2023, a group of California students fought to effectively ban the cruise ship industry from operating in a major city on the Central Coast. Two years later, as mega boats are still missing from Monterey’s shores — the outcome of a teenager-led environmental effort to protect the bay from spills or disasters — impacts from the absent travelers have rippled to some on land.

Monterey is the only city in California that has successfully kept all cruise ships from docking in its bay after Monterey City Council members voted 3-2 in 2023 to terminate passenger landing services, including security clearances, for incoming cruise liners. 

The policy technically doesn’t ban cruise ships from Monterey Bay — since the city doesn’t have the authority to do that, according to the Monterey Herald — but two years later, the council’s decision to end boat services has kept cruise ships away from Monterey’s ports. 

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The decision was a win for environmentalists worried that the dozen or so ships that used the city’s ports each year were a ticking time bomb for mistakes that could endanger marine life. Since then, the loss of cruise ship passengers has rippled through the tourism industry, especially for the shops and restaurants that catered to disembarked visitors in areas like Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf.

FILE: A pair of kayaks paddle in the foreground of the Celebrity cruise ship Infinity, anchored at Monterey Bay. 

Two years after the City Council voted, a spokesperson for the largest cruise industry trade association told SFGATE that the association remains “disappointed by the decision” to hinder cruises from docking in Monterey. Ahead of the crucial vote in 2023, Cruise Lines International Association pleaded with the City Council during a meeting to allow its season to operate as usual — citing research that cruise passengers spend an average of $125 per shore visit.

Protect Monterey Bay, the student group, countered the association with its appeal to the council. “We have thousands upon thousands of tourists who visit and look at our beautiful bay. It takes their breath away, and they call it priceless. Well, according to the cruise industry, it isn’t priceless. It has a price: $125 average per passenger. My friends, no amount is worth sacrificing our integrity,” pleaded Aliya Denton, a student leader for the group.

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Shortly after the remarks, the City Council members voted and cruise passengers stopped arriving on Monterey’s shore.

While other cities in the country haven’t banned cruise ships, a few have passed strict restrictions to curb the........

© SFGate