Federal cruise ship proposal nixed
A controversial proposal that could have cut the number of cruise ship visits to Maine ports has been scrapped, according to the Associated Press.
The White House Office of Management and Budget rejected the proposal submitted late last year by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which aimed to protect U.S.-flagged cruise ships operating from Hawaii by reducing the time foreign ships could spend in the islands. Critics of the proposal also said it would have cut cruise ship visits to the mainland by forcing vessels to spend more time in foreign ports. Portland officials said the proposal could have cut the number of cruise ship visits by up to 80%, according to the AP.
The proposal would have required foreign ships that begin and end their trips in a U.S. port to spend at least one day in foreign ports for every two days in U.S. ports. The OMB said Customs and Border Protection failed to show a compelling need for the changes, the AP reported.
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