The November election ballot in Bar Harbor, Maine, one of the top, seasonal cruise ports in New England,  will offer voters the chance to repeal a 2022 law that capped daily cruise arrivals at 1,000 and replace it with one that roughly triples the number of people allowed to disembark in the destination.

Under the initiative put forward by town officials, the November 5, 2024 ballot increases the daily limit to 3,200 cruise guests, which is just a few hundred less than the number allowed before the 2022 vote.

Prior to 2022, the town capped disembarkations at 3,500 per day, and while that number was generally considered low, it was high enough to enable most cruise ships to debark all guests who wanted to go ashore.

With the daily cap lowered to 1,000 per day, even mid-sized ships were unable to debark all those who wanted to leave the ship for excursions. The lower cap, which took effect in the 2024 season, prompted many cruise ships to abandon Bar Harbor as a port of call, leading to a dramatic loss of revenue for businesses and tour operators in the town.

The election ballot article (Article 4) also would change the way in which cruise ship visits are managed. If approved, the article would require that cruise lines reach agreements directly with the town, enabling town officials — rather than the pier owners, to enforce the daily limits.

Like other New England destinations, cruise ships call between April and November, with the height of the season being July through October. The proposed cruise arrival caps take into consideration the region’s high and low tourist seasons.

For the 2025 through 2029 seasons, the new law would allow a daily cap of 3,200 and an annual cap of 200,000. The daily ship limit would be three vessels. The measure also indicates monthly and multi-month limits. The cap for April would be 5,000; for May through August, 20,000; for September and October, 55,000; and for November, 5,000.

The new ballot measure also states that no ship will call at the destination on July 4 of any year. Cruise ships with capacity of up to 200 guests are not included in the cap.

Quality of Life Issues at Core of Local Dispute

The effort to lower daily cruise arrivals followed a 2021 community survey that found the majority of residents were concerned about the impacts of the cruise industry on their quality of life and the region’s environment.

Read Also: I Cruised Eastern Canada on Holland America: Here’s What I Loved Best

Bar Harbor is located on Mount Desert Island, a pristine destination that is home to the renowned Acadia National Park. Some 4 million people visit the 47,000-acre park each year for camping, hiking, horseback riding, and many other activities. The park is a major destination for cruise ship shore excursions.

In the survey, 55% of respondents said cruise tourism has a negative effect on Bar Harbor, and 53% said it negatively impacts their quality of life.

However, commercial interests in the town, such as stores, restaurants, bars, and tour vendors, rely on summer visitors for the lion’s share of their annual revenue.

A month after the November 2022 vote that lowered the daily cap to 1,000 cruise guests, the local business group Association to Protect and Preserve Local Livelihoods filed an appeal with the US District Court for the District of Maine.

The court ultimately rejected the appeal.

Everything is bigger in Texas, including cruising! Now, following months of negotiation, Norwegian Cruise Line and Galveston Wharves have officially announced a long-term agreement for Norwegian ships to homeport from the port’s newest cruise terminal after it opens in November 2025.

The announcement was made at the annual Galveston Economic Development Partnership on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, with more than 300 community leaders, corporate executives, port officials, and others in attendance.

“They say ‘Build it and they will come.’ We’re honored that this leading global cruise company is expanding its offerings in Texas, sailing from our new cruise terminal,” said Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO.

Norwegian Cruise Line has been offering limited, seasonal sailings from Galveston for two years, ever since Norwegian Prima first offered Texas-based cruises beginning in October 2022.

Now, the new agreement is a 10-year contract with various renewal options for further deployments well past that time frame. Not only Norwegian Cruise Line, but all also ships from all of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) will be able to homeport from Galveston. This includes Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

“Galveston is a key hub for NCLH. We recognize the strategic importance of this city, not just for its prime location but for the warmth and hospitality of the people here,” said Dan Farkas, NCLH executive vice president. “This long-term partnership is a promise to grow alongside Galveston, to invest in its future, and to bring world-class cruise experiences through our award-winning cruise brands.”

The terminal in question is the upcoming complex at Pier 16, which broke ground under an agreement with MSC Cruises in August. Both Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC Cruises will use the new facility for their Texas-based ships.

The first Norwegian Cruise Line ships to homeport from Galveston will be sister ships Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, which will begin offering Western Caribbean itineraries from November 2025. The ships will visit top regional ports, including Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Harvest Caye, Norwegian’s private island destination in Belize.

Galveston’s Cruise Growth

The new cruise terminal complex is a $156 million development, which will include not only the fourth terminal – converted from an existing cargo warehouse – but also support structures and surrounding infrastructure.

The 165,000-square-foot terminal will offer state-of-the-art passenger processing, while an adjacent $55 million parking garage will ensure space enough for the anticipated surge in visitors.

This will include not only Norwegian Cruise Line Holding ships, but also cruise sailings from MSC Cruises’ MSC Seascape, as both cruise lines will base from the terminal.

Galveston Wharves officials expect that once the new terminal is fully operational, the port will welcome more than 2 million passengers annually. This should begin in 2026 and will mark a new milestone in the port’s 24-year cruise vacation history.

Read Also: Galveston Cruise Port – The Essential Guide for Your Cruise

The cruise port is a tremendous economic boon to the local community, supporting 4,547 jobs and $732.5 million in local business revenue – hotels, restaurants, transportation, attractions, etc. – in 2023. This contributes $25.3 million in state and local taxes as well, which supports further projects to benefit the entire community.

When the fourth cruise terminal is operational, it is forecast to add another 925 jobs and $177 million in annual local business revenue. The city of Galveston will benefit directly from passenger and parking fees, plus the raised profile more cruise sailings will give to the community.

Cruise growth in Galveston is sure to continue as multiple cruise lines base more and larger ships from the Texas homeport, such as Carnival Cruise Line’s four-ship-deployment – a first for the cruise port – as well as Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class Harmony of the Seas.

Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and MSC Cruises also all have ships either currently or soon-to-be homeported from Galveston, offering Texas-sized adventures for all types of cruise travelers.

As Juneau, Alaska, grapples with local regulations limiting cruise ship passenger arrivals, Royal Caribbean Group is partnering with Alaskan Goldbelt Incorporated to develop a new cruise port on Douglas Island, Alaska.

Located directly across the Gastineau Channel from downtown Juneau and connected by the Juneau-Douglas Bridge, the new port aims to reduce traffic congestion in downtown Juneau while enhancing both local infrastructure and the visitor experience.

Plans for the port include two floating berths with views of the Chilkat Range and a recreated 1800s Tlingit village, where visitors can learn about Alaska Native history and culture through art, music, dance, and traditional foods.

The port’s location will be on Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act land and will enable easy access to whale-watching tours and other visitor activities without overwhelming downtown Juneau.

“We look forward to the prospect of bringing this sustainable, culture-rich cruise ship terminal to life in partnership with Royal Caribbean Group, providing community solutions to local transportation and economic development issues,” said McHugh Pierre, president and CEO of Goldbelt Incorporated.

Read Also: Juneau Cruise Port, Alaska – Overview and Guide

Guests disembarking in Juneau will be transported to excursions and the city by shuttle boat, bypassing some of the Alaskan capital’s most congested streets and potentially reducing downtown traffic by as much as a third.

The port’s design also incorporates environmental benefits with its location helping to reduce travel time and fuel consumption for cruise ships heading north to other Alaska destinations like Skagway.

Goldbelt Incorporated says the port can be a long-term economic driver for the region, creating jobs and possibly leading to the development of much-needed infrastructure like employee housing and a second crossing between Juneau and Douglas Island.

The new port is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2027 Alaska cruise season with Turnagain Marine serving as the design builder for the project. 

Managing Tourism Amid Record Numbers

Alaska welcomes most ships to its ports between May and August and saw a record-breaking 1.6 million passengers in 2023. In recent months, Juneau has taken steps to manage its growing cruise tourism industry by limiting ships and guest disembarkment.

City officials and the cruise lines initially imposed a cap of five ships per day at the start of the 2024 season, which began May 24, 2024. However, on May 4, 2024, a new agreement was reached to limit the number of passengers disembarking from cruise ships to 16,000 per day.

The limit was lowered to 12,000 on Saturdays, greatly reducing earlier figures of as many as 21,000 passengers on the city’s busiest cruise days.

Residents of the city have also been pushing to establish “ship-free Saturdays” to further limit guests and ease congestion on days when locals are also exploring Juneau, but the petition to place the limitation on election ballots failed on October 16, 2024.

Royal Caribbean Group and Goldbelt Incorporated hope their partnership and new port will provide a solution to growing transportation issues in Juneau.

“We are thankful to Goldbelt Incorporated and to the Juneau community for the partnership to bring solution-oriented initiatives, such as this port, to life,” said Preston Carnahan, assistant vice president, west coast destinations for Royal Caribbean Group.

“We look forward to continuing to support Juneau as the cruise capital of Alaska by offering award-winning guests experiences through responsible destination management,” he continued.

Juneau’s last call of its 2024 season will be Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jewel, arriving on October 24, 2024, with up to 2,376 passengers. Norwegian Bliss will arrive on October 21, 2024, with up to 4,004 guests.

The city’s 2025 season is expected to kick off again on April 15, 2025, with the arrival of Norwegian Bliss.