File photo / Peter Van Allen
Cruise ships in Portland harbor. At right, Mein Schiff 6, which can accommodate 2,534 passengers plus crew.
Updated: October 24, 2023
Mainebiz readers weigh in on Maine's cruise ship visits
Photo / Peter Van Allen
In November 2022, in separate ballot initiatives, Bar Harbor voted to put limits on cruise ship visits, while Portland voters said they should have no limitations. Critics have said the ships bring traffic congestion and pollution, while supporters tout the benefit of shoulder-season revenue.
Every October, the streets of Bar Harbor and Portland’s Old Port neighborhood teem with cruise ship passengers, up to 5,000 on a given day.
At least in Portland, near the Mainebiz offices, there’s a month or more where we see people strolling along Commercial Street, stopping into shops and patronizing nearby restaurants. Holy Donut seems to be a favorite stop, with a line out the door of the Commercial Street location on days with cruise ships in port.
Maine's cruise ship season is now at its peak, with thousands of passengers coming ashore at Portland, Bar Harbor, Eastport and Rockland.
This week alone, through Sunday, Portland is expected to host nine cruise ships with a potential total of 9,200 passengers, according to MainePortcall.com. Bar Harbor will host four ships with as many as 11,000 passengers.
According to a 2018 study by the Maine Office of Tourism with Cruise Maine — the most recent financial data available — cruise ships had a statewide economic impact of $33 million, directly supporting 400 jobs.
The debate
But the debate over the economic value of cruise ship visits continues. In recent years, both Portland and Bar Harbor have grappled with the trade-offs of visits from the giant vessels.
In November 2022, in separate ballot initiatives, Bar Harbor voted to put limits on cruise ship visits, while Portland voters said they should have no limitations.
Critics have said the ships bring traffic congestion and pollution, while supporters tout the benefit of shoulder-season revenue.
This fall, cruise ships are bigger than ever, and it's clear that opinions about their impact remain divided.
Poll results
Mainebiz has sought out the opinions of readers on the economics of this tourism sector. In a poll published Oct. 16, we asked, “Does your business benefit from cruise ship visits?”
Just over half of poll respondents, 53%, said “my business doesn’t benefit directly [from cruise ships], but I think the visits help the state economy.” In the same poll a year ago, 56% of the voters took this stand.
Other answers broke down this way:
- 21% said the cruise ships “bring customers and revenue” vs. 17% in 2022
- 18% said, “no, the visits don’t help my business” vs. 15% in 2022
- 9% answered, “There’s no real benefit and the visits should be limited more strictly” vs. 13% in 2022.
In the comments section for the recent poll, one reader wrote: “Why would you want to limit tourism? They are on a cruise this year but next year they may come back for several days to visit, this helps restaurants, hotels, shops. Hello folks — don't say no to them.”
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