Belfast, ME Votes to Ban Cruise Ships Over 50 Passengers

The city of Belfast, Maine, has voted unanimously to prohibit cruise ships carrying more than 50 passengers from docking at its port. 

The decision follows a recommendation by Harbor Master Katherine Given, who cited safety and navigational concerns brought on by visits from larger vessels. 

In 2024, the town welcomed eight cruise calls involving ships with more than 50 guests, including five visits from American Eagle, a vessel with capacity for 109 passengers. 

Given noted that these visits led to several issues, particularly due to the unexpected arrival of charter buses used to shuttle cruise guests to nearby destinations. 

“Some 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,” she said earlier this year. 

She also explained that after evaluating potential solutions, a committee concluded that reducing the size of visiting vessels was the only viable option. 

“The channel can’t move, we have limited dock space, there’s no bus parking, so as much as we thought about trying to work things out, it just can’t happen,” Given told MainePublic.org. 

A representative from the local chamber of commerce added that cruise guests brought in by tour buses don’t contribute to the local economy the way they once did. 

While the ban is expected to result in the loss of approximately $20,000 in dockage fees, officials believe that amount can be recovered through alternative uses of the facilities. 

Prior to the vote, Belfast was scheduled to receive 14 cruise ship calls in 2025, most of them from American Cruise Lines’ American Eagle, which sails coastal New England itineraries during the summer. 

With this decision, Belfast becomes the second Maine town to restrict cruise tourism, following Bar Harbor, which introduced a daily cap of 1,000 cruise visitors.