Bar Harbor, Maine is going through gyrations right now, of considering limiting the number of cruise ship passengers that disembark on a given day. Bar Harbor joins other coastal communities like Venice, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; and Key West, Florida.
The media defaults to presenting this as a binary issue (like they do with just about everything), meaning that either:
a. Cruise ship traffic is a significant contributor to local economies, and as such Bar Harbor is out of its collective mind for biting the hand that feeds it, OR
b. Cruise ships are the root of all evil, and harmony will not exist in the universe until they are all sent to the scrap yard.
It is disappointing that an actual discussion, based on fact and nuance is elusive. I would like to presume there are enough intelligent people out there capable of such a debate.
Here’s why this is an important discussion (and some of the subtleties that escapes most media commentary about the issue).
- There is some truth to both A and B above. Tourist dollars are a vital part of many economies… particularly in smaller cities and towns globally. Cruise ships bring consumers to places that often otherwise would not get them.
- These same small towns are not well served when overwhelmed by cruise ship traffic. Skagway, Alaska is a great illustration of this. With a permanent population of 800 people, it is entirely overwhelmed several times during the summer when four or more vessels show up and disgorge 15,000 or more passengers.
- In these small ports, those providing shore excursions or selling T-shirts do fairly well. However, cruise ship passengers DON’T buy hotel rooms, and they only spend minimally for restaurants or other services they get on their ships.
- Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Vancouver and Seattle do well – people come in pre/post, and the cruise ships fill up with provisions at these ports. The small ports… not so much.
- It’s really difficult to staff businesses that are only viable on days that cruise ships are in port. Alaska is largely staffed by summer students from Washington and Oregon.
What happens next?
There will not be some big coordinated regulatory change here. We’re talking about multiple jurisdictions in many countries. One of the things we learned during the pandemic is that smaller countries are not afraid to exert their authority over who comes and goes from their shores. This is a good thing.
Instead, decisions will be made at a local level that best suit the interests of the local people. This is what is happening in Bar Harbor, and what happened in Palm Beach. The balance between commercial opportunity, and quality of life of the people that live there is also a good thing.
So, what might this mean for cruise ship passengers? We can look at what has already happened to predict the future:
Venice – After musing about it for years, the Italians went cold turkey, and there are no cruise ships (carrying more than 200 passengers) in the Venetian Lagoon. When you depart from Venice now, your ship will be docked in Fusina, Chioggia, Bologna, or Genoa.
Private Islands –all the mega-ship cruise lines have them, and it’s a trend that will probably continue in the Caribbean. It is less clear if it will gain traction in other parts of the world. The catch: these port stops are manufactured by the cruise line – it’s really an extension of being on the ship.
Cruises to Nowhere – We saw some of this during the pandemic. This works great when the ship is the destination (like most mega-ships operating in the Caribbean). There is often a “compliance” stop in a foreign port for a few hours, but otherwise, you’re at sea the whole time.
Rationing of shore excursions – This has been in place in protected sites and National Parks for several years. It is a trend we could see amplified. In Antarctica, for example, a maximum of 100 people at a time are permitted on land from ships with a maximum of 500 people.
More delineation in cruising – Big ships will end up at big ship ports, and small ships will visit different ports of call. This is already happening to a certain degree, so look for this to continue.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Oceania FREE Land Packages (choose from 15 cruises)
Oceania is offering free pre- or post-cruise land packages on several 2023 departures. Here’s a few examples:
South Africa & Namibia
- Capetown round-trip departing January 6, 2023 (12-days).
- $4199 per person Ocean View, $5399 per person Veranda.
- Visit Walvis Bay Namibia (overnight), Port Elizabeth, Durban (overnight), Richard’s Bay, Mossel Bay
- Round-trip air add-on $1600 pp
- FREE 4-days land extension in Capetown with included tours to a penguin colony, wineries at Stellenbosch, and a private game reserve.
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia & Singapore
- Bangkok to Singapore departing February 19, 2023 (10-days)
- Visit Bangkok (overnight), Ko Samui, Cambodia, Nha Trang (Vietnam), Saigon (2 nights), Singapore
- Oceanview $4299 per person, Balcony $5499 per person
- Round-trip air add-on $1500 pp
- FREE 4-day land extension to either Ankgor Wat OR Singapore (your choice)
New Zealand & Australia
- Sydney round-trip departing February 13, 2023 (15-days)
- Oceanview $6899 per person, Balcony $8999 per person
- Visit Hobart, Milford Sound, Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier, Rotorua, Auckland, Bay of Islands.
- Round-trip air add-on $1700 pp
- FREE 4-day land extension to Sydney OR journey to the Blue Mountains (your choice).
I can’t list all the cruises, but if you’ve ever wanted to pre- or post- in the following cities (for FREE), get in touch with us and we can provide more details:
- Lima, Peru
- Santiago, Chile
- Mumbai, India
- Tokyo, Japan
- Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
- Dubai, UAE
AMA Waterways FREE Land Packages
Over on the rivers, AMA is offering something very similar. The overwhelming majority of our clients end up extending their vacations pre or post in Europe anyway, so these are worth a look:
Douro River – Spain & Portugal
- Round-trip river cruise from Porto in July & August (multiple dates) – 7-nights
- Prices start at $4099 per person.
- FREE 3-night land extension to Lisbon.
Rhine River – Switzerland, France, Germany, Netherlands
- Travel from Basel to Amsterdam for 7-nights.
- Prices from $2999 per person (March 2023), or $3899 per person (July 2023)
- FREE 4-night land extension in Switzerland (2-nights Zurich, 2-nights Lucerne)
Saone River – France (Provence)
- Travel between Lyon and Arles for 7-nights
- Prices start at $3299 per person (March), or $4199 per person (July or August)
- FREE 3-night land extension in Paris, OR
- FREE 3-night land extension in Barcelona.
Have something to say about this?
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
