A group of protesters delayed the arrival of the Celebrity Eclipse at the port of Amsterdam on July 27, 2025.
According to local media, approximately 35 militants from the international activist group Extinction Rebellion took part in the protest.
The rebels used boats, canoes and inflatables to try to prevent the Celebrity Cruises vessel from docking at the Dutch port, maritime news website Schuttevaer reported.
The protest lasted for about two hours and ended with five protesters arrested for assault and refusal to show identification, the website added.
Sailing from Amsterdam since April, the Celebrity Eclipse was able to dock safely at Amsterdam following the protests.
At the Dutch port, the 2,850-guest ship ended an 11-night cruise to Iceland and the British Islands before embarking on a seven-night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords.
In a social media post, Extinction Rebellion claimed to have “stopped the Celebrity Eclipse from docking at the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal.”
The activists added that the protest was aimed at “demanding strict and binding national and international environmental standards and regulations.”
“We protest with this blockade against the harmful influence of cruise ships on humans, nature and the climate,” Extinction Rebellion continued.
Calling the vessels “floating environmental disasters,” Extinction Rebellion stated that cruise ships should not be allowed in Dutch waters.
“We will continue with actions like this until this harmful tourist industry is banned from Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands,” the group added.
Extinction Rebellion disrupted the operation of several cruise ships in 2024, including Royal Caribbean’s Seven Seas Mariner.
In addition to the port of Amsterdam, the group also protested against cruise ships in Ijmuiden and the Ijmuiden locks.
Homeported in the Netherlands through mid-August, the Celebrity Eclipse is now scheduled to return to Amsterdam on August 3, 2025.