ROCKLAND, Maine — Residents are divided on the benefits of large cruise ships coming to Rockland and whether more should be allowed.
The city held a forum Monday evening on the cruise ship issue and the need for improvements to the harbor infrastructure. Members of the public who spoke were divided on whether the visits from large cruise ships benefitted the community and should more large ships be allowed.
Sarah Flink of SpringLine Destination Strategies discussed the report being developed for the city. About 13,000 passengers from large cruise ships came to Rockland this year. The final large cruise ship came Monday. One option offered by SpringLine was to allow cruise ships of up to 2,500 passengers from May 15 through Aug. 14 and up to 3,600 from Aug. 15 through October.
The city contracted with SpringLine to come up with scenarios for “managed growth with guardrails.”
Large cruise ships under the city policy are ones with more than 500 passengers.
Flink noted that about two thirds of the visits to Maine by large cruise ships is during September and October. She said there is an opportunity for revenue growth with managed growth in the larger ships.
Rockland has a cap of nine large ships during September and October and only six are booked next year. The consulting report showed the financial impact of four more ships than the current cap.
City Manager Tom Luttrell provided an overview of harbor revenue and the costs of maintaining and improving Rockland’s working waterfront. The presentation outlined about $1.2 million needed for replacing 27 floats and 43 pilings. The manager’s report showed that the city needs about $250,000 more harbor revenues each year to cover operations and maintenance.
In addition, the manager outlined larger improvement projects such as the current rebuilding of the Middle Pier and Buoy Park, which is costing $7 million and paid for by federal grants and city reserve accounts. The city also hopes to undertake a $15 million upgrade of Harbor Park and is seeking grants. The city has $283,000 in its reserve account for harbor maintenance but would like to maintain $2 million.
Councilor Penny York pointed out that the number of large cruise ships to visit in 2027 will be less than in 2026. She said if the council were to make any changes to regulations on cruise ships, it would not be in place until 2029 at the earliest.
The public comment session of the meeting saw a mix of comments.
Joe Steinberger said he regularly talks with people who come off the cruise ships and enjoys sharing stories with each other. He said thousands of people are made happy by visiting Rockland.
“For some people that may not matter, but I think it matters,” Steinberger said.
He said the harbor is the city’s greatest asset.
Tyler Waterson said Rockland is not strictly a tourist town. He said there was a huge danger of losing the character of what makes Rockland what it is by too many visits by large cruise ships. He said it would be a mistake to increase the numbers during July and August when the harbor and community are already at capacity. He said focusing on visitors from the large cruise ships will result in fewer high valued visitors who spend days in the community, eat three meals a day in Rockland, and interact with the community. He said smaller cruise ships have less of an impact on the community.
Ken Pride said the visits from large cruise ships are not benign.
Richard Jackson, who recently moved to Rockland, recalled when he lived in Greece that residents became increasingly frustrated by the negative impacts of large ships visiting their ports.
He urged the City Council to be very careful about increasing the number of large cruise ships that could visit.
Former Mayor Louise MacLellen-Ruf asked for a pause on allowing more large cruise ships, saying the city was at capacity.
Kyle Swan asked the city to consider a temporary moratorium to allow the community time to consider the pros and cons. He said the environmental impacts from noise and pollution and the potential of illnesses being brought into the community.
Tom Marshall voiced support for the large cruise ships.
So did Kate McAleer who founded and operates Bixby Chocolate. Bixby has its factory and store off Tillson Avenue. She said the extra revenue from these visits are a boost to businesses.
A presentation was also made at the Monday meeting of the PortShare Promise program and its efforts to strengthen communication with community stakeholders and improve the visitor experience through onboard information, a welcome center staffed by volunteers, a coordinated Makers Market, and a pilot trolley program. The discussion also identified opportunities to improve transportation access, increase coordination with local businesses and attractions, and build on the resources and experience developed during the program’s first season under city management.
Luttrell said the research and the first season of the PortShare Promise program under city management provide a stronger foundation for evaluating the opportunities and responsibilities associated with cruise tourism.
“Deferred maintenance in our harbor and working waterfront is a reality we have to address,” Luttrell said. “We need to develop dependable, long-term revenue streams that support local businesses and help fund the upkeep of our waterfront infrastructure, taking pressure off property taxes. The SpringLine research and this year’s PortShare Promise experience give us a better basis for understanding both the opportunities and the responsibilities. That work will inform the Council’s ongoing review and future policy decisions.”
Online comments will be accepted through Friday and considered alongside workshop input and feedback from the Harbor Management Commission. The survey is available online on the city website.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.