Following in the footsteps of Bar Harbor, Maine, the town of Belfast, Maine – just about 58 miles away – is working on implementing its own cruise ship ban.
Although the coastal town is only expecting to receive 14 cruise ship calls this year – which is up from eight in 2024 – the locals are having none of it.
Indeed, the city council voted unanimously (5-0) to change the local cruise ship policy, instructing the cityโs planning staff to draft an amendment that would ban all cruise ships and maritime vessels that carry 50 or more guests if passed.
Cruise ship operations do benefit the city through the payment of local docking fees, which generated $16,142 in tourism revenue in 2024 and is expected to rake in nearly $24,000 in 2025.
However, the prevailing sentiment is that the potential benefits of accepting cruise ships do not outweigh the safety considerations, environmental concerns, and issues the larger vessels pose for recreational boaters.
โWhile we appreciate the potential for tourism revenue, the detrimental effects of cruise ships on our safety, environment, local businesses, and community character cannot be overlooked. It is vital that we prioritize the long-term health and well-being of our town over short-term economic gains,โ said Dorothy Havey, Belfast Chamber of Commerce Executive Director.
Harbor Master Katherine Given also felt that the city would be able to recoup the funds it loses by eliminating cruising because there is already high demand for other recreational vessels, such as private boats and windjammers, to take advantage of the small portโs limited docking space.
โHaving this dock space open will also allow us to better accommodate other users of the facilities.The more the committee discussed it, the more we realized we didnโt have options,โ Given explained.
Itโs unclear when the official proposal will once again be put to a vote, but city council members are cautiously optimistic that it will pass.
Cruising Overwhelms Small Towns
With a population of only 7,069, it would be easy for the mega-ships of today to overwhelm Belfast. On average, cruise ships can typically accommodate around 3,000 guests.
Hypothetically, if a ship like Royal Caribbeanโs Icon of the Seas called on the port, cruise guests could outnumber the townโs residents – with the worldโs current largest ship able to sail with a maximum of 7,600 passengers.
This is just food for thought, of course, as the Icon-class flagship has no plans to visit. This is probably a good thing, as the town has already struggled to accommodate American Cruise Linesโ American Eagle, which entered service in 2023 with a capacity for 109 guests.
The first of ACLโs Coastal Cats class visited Maine five times in 2024, and is scheduled to return several more times this year starting on July 10, 2025. According to city representatives, her past visits have caused docking and operational problems that are making locals weary.
โUnfortunately, many problems did arise, including some that were not discussed, such as the unexpected arrival of charter buses to take the shipโs passengers to other locations,โ said Master Given.
โSome of these problems had a definite negative impact on other visiting boaters using the docks, launch ramp use, and pedestrian and traffic safety around the Belfast City Landing,โ continued Given.
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The experience in Belfast seems to echo that of Bar Harbor, Maine, which is another small town with a population of 5,276 people.
In 2022, Bar Harbor approved a petition that limited the number of passengers that can disembark to a maximum of 1,000 per day.
In November of 2024, the ballot included a proposal to raise the cap back up to 3,200 cruise guests per day – but residents narrowly voted to keep the daily maximum as is.