Rockland Expands Cruise Ship Welcomes Despite Prevailing Uncertainties

Many in this small seaside city look to Bar Harbor, where thousands of cruise ship passengers crowd the streets and sidewalks from spring through fall.

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Cruise ship passengers from the American Eagle disembark towards Rockland on August 29.

ROCKLAND — Local business owner Nate Luce holds ambivalent views regarding the cruise ships that frequent this quaint coastal city from late May to early October.

His ambivalence spiked this year after city officials increased the total number – from six to nine – of the larger cruise ships allowed to visit each September and October.

The city is preparing for a modest increase to seven big ships this fall, starting next week, but the number of passengers arriving in the harbor will increase dramatically to 21,832 – almost 50% more than last year, and four times the number of passengers the city saw in 2022.

City councilors unanimously endorsed the increase, encouraged by Maine tourism officials and the regional chamber of commerce. At the same time, just up the coast in Bar Harbor, a continuing battle to tamp down intense cruise ship traffic stands as a stark example of what Luce and others worry could happen here.

Nate Luce of Luce Spirits chats with customers at the Rockland Farmers Market at Harbor Park on Aug. 29.

Like many in this city of nearly 7,000, Luce doesn’t mind the 30 or so smaller cruise ships with 100-200 guests that arrive spring through fall, like the American Eagle and the American Constitution docked in the harbor behind him.

Their passengers are “charming,” he said. They’re also likely to visit Luce Spirits distillery and tasting room on Main Street and perhaps purchase a bottle of his artisanal gin, aquavit, absinthe, or black walnut liqueur.

However, the arrival of larger ships, such as the Zuiderdam on September 8 with 1,900 guests, and the Celebrity Eclipse on September 9 with 3,000 guests, overwhelms the waterfront and downtown areas with tourists wearing lanyards, all eager to buy a lobster roll, seek a public restroom, and observe Mainers in their daily lives.

“It makes you feel a bit like a zoo animal,” mentioned Luce, 36. “It certainly introduces a level of chaos to Main Street.”

While officials in Maine estimate that tourism brings in about $30 million each year across eight port towns, there are doubts like those of Luce about how much of this income is contributed by the mega cruise ships, and importantly, who benefits from it.

“I have not seen any financial benefit from the larger cruise ships,” stated Luce. “Although I understand tourists are here to spend, our main interest is in fostering year-round business.”

Like many others, Luce expresses a sense of unease over the possible excessive commercialization, often worried about a situation akin to what might be termed as the “Bar Harborization” of Rockland.

“My primary concern is the long-term welfare of our community,” he added.

PRIME BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Connie Sawyer has expressed her desire for Rockland to not follow the path of Bar Harbor. Having acquired the Seagull Cottage gift shops in Rockland and Camden in 2016 after a 25-year career in banking, she holds a unique perspective.

“I don’t want us to become another Bar Harbor, although the number of larger ships we’re hosting seems just right,” explained Sawyer.

In an effort to maximize the benefits of these larger ship arrivals, Sawyer is advocating for more local businesses to remain open during these times. Notably, this fall, four out of seven large ships will dock on days like Sunday or Monday, when many venues are typically closed.

“How can they enjoy coming to Rockland if half of the places are closed?” Sawyer questioned. “This is our peak season. We should embrace the cruise ships arriving and make them want to return.”

Sawyer’s rationale for support is well-founded, remarked Sarah Flink, executive director at CruiseMaine, part of the Maine Office of Tourism.

“Over half of our cruise visitors to Maine are experiencing it for the first time,” noted Flink at a recent Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce meeting. “This exposes new visitors to the charms of Maine, encouraging them to share their positive experiences with friends and relatives.”

The number of cruise tourists visiting Rockland is anticipated to see significant growth, increasing from 5,010 in 2022 to an estimated 22,356 by 2025, according to Flink. This fall, the arrival of seven major cruise ships, including the Queen Mary 2 on September 24, will bring approximately 17,400 passengers, with an expected local spending of around $1.9 million. Furthermore, eight large cruise ships have included Rockland in their 2025 schedules for coastal New England tours, as listed on portcall.com, a website managed by CruiseMaine.

While Sawyer is optimistic about local businesses coming together to embrace the arrival of bigger cruise ships, some proprietors don’t see the advantage of remaining open for cruise tourists who may not turn into regular patrons. They are also concerned about the broader implications of larger cruise ships on both the local community and the environment.

Pedestrians were seen walking on the main street in Rockland last month.

“It’s a lot of wear and tear on a small town,” commented Emily Seymour, 32, co-owner of Curator Consignment on Main Street.

“Our business doesn’t really benefit from the traffic brought by cruise ships,” she added. “Though some visitors are pleasant, the influx is overwhelming, and the presence of these large ships is not beneficial for the harbor.”

Seymour agrees that some local businesses benefit because the cruise ships offer shore excursions for activities such as lobster bakes, harbor tours and even visits to the Owls Head Transportation Museum and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay.

“I know it benefits some businesses that I like,” she said, “but if they’re just buying trinkets made in China, who does it really benefit?”

Seymour said a family friend recently signed up to be an Uber driver so he can provide transportation to cruise passengers.

Cruise ship passengers wait to board buses in Rockland.

“So maybe he will benefit from it,” she said.

Revenue from visiting ships helps support harbor infrastructure improvements, as well as provides income for local retail establishments and restaurants.

BAR HARBOR’S EXAMPLE

Valerie Peacock understands why some Rockland residents are afraid to follow in Bar Harbor’s wake.

“We sometimes joke that even we don’t want to be Bar Harbor,” said Peacock, chair of the Bar Harbor Town Council.

She also understands concerns about the impact of larger ships, which Bar Harbor has been struggling to cap for several years, including through lingering court battles.

“There is a scale to the larger ships that is overwhelming,” Peacock said. “You’ll see hundreds of people gathered in one spot. The smaller ships don’t do that.”

As cruise passenger numbers have increased, so have visitors to neighboring Acadia National Park, which attracted 3.88 million people in 2023 – 35% more than the annual average of 2.87 million visitors in the decade from 2010-2019, the National Park Service reported.

“The town is feeling overwhelmed in general,” Peacock continued. “We’re paying for trash removal and waste water treatment for millions of people, and the residents are footing the bill for a lot of it.”

This fall, Bar Harbor officials will try once again to control cruise ship impacts that have escalated over the last 30 years. The town drew roughly 270,000 cruise ship passengers in 2019, then experienced a post-pandemic rebound to 298,089 passengers in 2022. That November, town voters capped the number of passengers allowed ashore each day at 1,000 – a local ordinance that was challenged by a group of business owners, was upheld by a federal judge in February and is now being reviewed on appeal.

Last month, Bar Harbor councilors approved a cruise ship licensing proposal that will be on the Nov. 5 municipal ballot. It would cap daily passenger visitation at 3,200, with a yearly cap of 200,000. It also calls for 10 days without the larger ships in the harbor in both September and October, and no cruise ships would be allowed on the Fourth of July.

Cruise ship companies would be required to sign five-year contracts subject to annual renewals after two years, Peacock said. From the third year on, councilors could vote to reduce or end passenger visits altogether – a decision that also would require a local referendum before taking effect.

The council ratified the licensing agreement with a vote of 6-1, with cruise operators and pier proprietors having already finalized agreements coordinated by municipal employees, as noted by Peacock. The initiative will proceed pending voter endorsement, potentially resolving the ongoing legal disputes.

She also provides suggestions for other communities aiming to boost their economic development similarly.

“Ensure there is a fallback plan in case things don’t pan out,” she recommended. “We are in the process of reversing developments that occurred over a period. It’s exceedingly challenging and disordered, consuming a significant amount of community resources, employee effort, and legal expenditures. Reversing decisions is immensely difficult.”

IT’S AN EXPERIMENT

Jeff and Mary Heckman disembarked from the American Eagle in Rockland in late August, eager for a traditional lobster bake and a harbor tour on a lobster boat. This trip was particularly significant for Jeff, a retired military serviceman, who cherished his childhood memories of camping in Maine during his Boy Scout days.

Cruise ship passengers Jeff and Mary Heckman of New Jersey walk from the cruise ship American Eagle at the Rockland Public Landing.

The couple was intent on indulging in as much lobster as possible during their visit. Before embarking, they savored hefty lobster rolls accompanied by fries and coleslaw at The Lobstah Buoy food truck in Bangor, spending over $100 on the meal.

“It was a fatty,” Jeff Heckman remarked about his sandwich. “Best lobster rolls we ever had.”

In anticipation of an increase in large vessels and tourists, CruiseMaine alongside the Penobscot Bay chamber have initiated Port Share Promise Midcoast, aimed at enhancing passenger support through various welcoming services.

At Rockland Public Landing, portable restrooms and an information booth will be established, managed by both paid staff and volunteers. Additionally, a shuttle service will be made available for tourists interested in visiting the Rockland breakwater or exploring the nearby town of Camden.

Furthermore, Port Share Promise will introduce an online feedback system for submitting suggestions, concerns, or complaints, catering to both visitors and local residents who express avoidance of the waterfront and downtown areas during large cruise ship arrivals.

“The city’s approval is in place and we are aware of their arrival,” mentioned Shannon Landwehr, the chamber’s president and CEO. “Our goal is to effectively manage and lessen the impact of these large inflows on our residents, businesses, and visitors.”

Landwehr and others emphasize that only one additional big ship is visiting Rockland this year. And with each of the seven big ships, some passengers will stay on board, some will go on excursions and some will venture into town.

“About half of the passengers come ashore,” said Capt. Molly Eddy, Rockland’s harbor master. “It’s a small increase. It’s an experiment. If it doesn’t work out, we can always go back.”

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