Alaska’s Goldbelt Tram, located beside Juneau’s downtown cruise dock, will remain closed for several days after two employees were hospitalized following an accident at the base station.

The incident happened just days after the 2026 Juneau cruise season got underway.

No cruise passengers were involved

A cable car came into the base station faster than expected, injuring two staff members who were later taken to the hospital. One was unconscious at the scene, but both were released over the weekend.

Goldbelt confirmed five employees were aboard the tram at the time and no cruise guests were present. The three other staffers did not require medical treatment.

Capital City Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, saying it “successfully stabilized the cabin and gained access to all occupants.”

The tram remained closed Friday and is not expected to reopen for several days. Director of Operations and Facilities Ben Moorhead said representatives from the lift manufacturer and state safety officials are traveling to Juneau to assess the situation.

“It came in faster than anticipated, and docked at a higher rate of speed,” Moorhead said. He added that coordination is underway with the lift manufacturer to determine what happened and make necessary repairs.

Tram ride is a popular shore activity for cruisers

The Goldbelt Tram is one of Juneau’s most popular attractions for cruise guests. It carries riders 1,800 feet up Mount Roberts, offering panoramic views of downtown Juneau and the Gastineau Channel.

At the top, visitors can explore hiking trails, a bar and grill, a gift shop and a theater.

The closure comes at the start of what is already a closely watched season.

The 2026 Juneau cruise season began just days ago with the arrival of Holland America Line’s Eurodam and marks the first year operating under new daily cruise passenger limits.

A cruise ship guest was pronounced dead off the California coast after falling from a stateroom balcony.

The woman, who hasn’t been named yet, went over the balcony and landed on a deck below. It is unclear how far she fell.

Woman fell from balcony onto a lower deck

It marks the third overboard or fall death on cruise ships in just two weeks. She was a guest on the Carnival Firenze which was sailing near Catalina Island when the incident occurred. The woman’s family raised the alarm with ship crew.

“All appropriate authorities have been alerted. As is customary, law enforcement will board the ship today on Catalina Island to conduct the required investigation,” the cruise line said earlier.

“Carnival’s Care Team is supporting the guest’s family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told the media the FBI is handling the investigation. The circumstances leading up to the fall have not been disclosed by authorities.

Carnival Firenze is on a short Baja Mexico cruise roundtrip from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal. Catalina Island is situated about 20 miles from Los Angeles. The ship left the island and visits Ensenada, Mexico today before returning to Long Beach on April 30. The ship has capacity for more than 5,000 guests.

Third cruise ship fall in the past two weeks

This incident comes days after a Norwegian Cruise Line crew member went overboard off the coast of Massachusetts. According to surveillance video footage, the Norwegian Breakaway employee fell into the sea around 12 miles off Cape Cod at the weekend.

A large-scale US Coast Guard air and sea search operation was conducted but suspended several hours later without success.

The incident led to a delay in embarkation for the next voyage out of Boston on Sunday. “These efforts required the vessel’s full attention before the voyage could safely resume toward Boston,” NCL said in an update to new departing guests.

“Situations such as these are never easy, and the safety and wellbeing of those at sea remain at the heart of every decision we make.”

Just a week earlier, a Carnival Splendor guest in his 70s went overboard off the coast of Brisbane, Australia, which the cruise line says was a deliberate jump based on CCTV footage.

A days-long search operation took place and he too is now presumed dead. There have been six reported overboard incidents so far in 2026.

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has filed charges against Capital Jazz and its owner, Clifford Hunte, over more than $642,000 in unpaid refunds from a canceled 2026 music cruise.

The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division filed a Statement of Charges alleging Capital Jazz violated the Maryland Consumer Protection Act and breached an earlier settlement agreement tied to previous refund failures.

More than $642,000 owed in cruise refunds

The Capital Jazz SuperCruise was scheduled to sail the Caribbean from March 22-29, 2026 onboard MSC Divina.

MSC Cruises canceled the charter agreement in November 2025 after Capital Jazz failed to meet payment obligations, despite continuing to collect money from customers. By the time passengers learned of the cancellation, many had already paid thousands of dollars and booked flights and hotels.

The Consumer Protection Division says 103 customers are so far confirmed to be owed $642,240 in total. Officials believe more passengers may be affected and have not yet come forward.

Capital Jazz also allegedly stopped paying penalties it owed under a 2025 settlement that resolved earlier refund complaints.

“Capital Jazz made a commitment to Maryland consumers and broke it, and then they brazenly did it again,” Attorney General Brown said. “My office intends to use every legal tool available to hold it accountable in its failure to honor its obligations to consumers.”

It’s worth noting that the dispute is between passengers and Capital Jazz, not MSC Cruises. MSC canceled the charter after Capital Jazz failed to make payments, and the cruise line has no legal obligation to refund passengers who booked through the event organizer.

Third SuperCruise canceled in five years

This is the third Capital Jazz SuperCruise to be canceled in five years. The company previously faced legal action over cruises canceled in 2021 and 2022, which resulted in a 2025 settlement requiring Capital Jazz to provide cruise refunds and purchase cancellation insurance for future events.

A hearing before the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings is scheduled for July 21, 2026.

Capital Jazz has organized its annual music festival in the Washington, D.C. area for more than 30 years, drawing tens of thousands of fans to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland each June.

Customers who believe they are owed refunds from the canceled 2026 SuperCruise can contact the Maryland Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 410-528-8662.

Royal Caribbean is testing a new paid option for guests who book guarantee staterooms and want to know their cabin assignment before the last minute.

The program, called Early Assign, is available for $30 per stateroom and is currently being piloted on select sailings for U.S. bookings only. When a guest’s cruise is paid in full, they can add Early Assign and receive their stateroom assignment within 24 hours.

How guarantee bookings work

Guarantee staterooms are one of the most affordable ways to book a cruise. Guests are promised a cabin within their selected category, but the cruise line assigns the specific room, sometimes not until just days before the sailing date or even on embarkation day. That uncertainty is the tradeoff for the lower fare.

Early Assign is designed to remove that uncertainty, though it does not allow guests to choose a specific deck, location, or stateroom attributes.

Booking windows and restrictions

The option is available during a defined window before sailing, based on itinerary length.

For cruises of five nights or fewer, guests can use Early Assign between 30 and 60 days before departure. For sailings of six nights or longer, the window is 50 to 80 days before sailing.

Early Assign is available for select stateroom categories across interior, ocean view, balcony, and suite bookings. It is not available on casino fares and may be restricted on certain promotional rates.

Once assigned, guests can request a move to a different cabin within the same category at no extra charge, of course this is subject to availability.

What to know before paying

The $30 fee is per stateroom, not per guest, but it is non-refundable. If a booking is canceled, the fee is forfeited regardless of when the cancellation occurs. The option carries no additional perks beyond the earlier cabin assignment.

Royal Caribbean says the program may be expanded fleetwide if the pilot proves successful.