ANNUAL REPORT
2025
Overview of the Cruise Season
Maine Welcomed
374 SHIP CALLS
+ an estimated
313,159
PASSENGER DAYS
reflecting a
17%
decrease from last season
Portland held steady with just over 200,000 passenger days, leading the state as the busiest cruise port.
Meanwhile, Eastport had a banner year that included hosting the maiden voyage of Virgin Voyage’s Brilliant Lady, and American Cruise Lines expanded its presence across seven of Maine’s ports with the introduction of its Patriot class to the region.
CruiseMaine helped facilitate a pilot project with Customs and Border Protection to make Maine the first state in the country where Enhanced Passenger Processing was used to clear cruise passengers arriving from a foreign port.
A Closer Look at Cruise Tourism in Maine
In 2025, the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development issued an RFP to conduct a Cruise Visitor Profile and Economic Impact of Cruise Visitation study during the 2025 cruise season. Portland-based Digital Research Inc. (DRI) was selected through a competitive process and carried out visitor surveys at each of Maine’s eight cruise ports. The firm is now compiling the data to better understand cruise visitor spending and the broader economic impact of cruise activity, with a final report expected in Q2 2026.
Jordan Johannes Photography
Highlights from Major Cruise Ports
EASTPORT
A record-breaking year with
22 SHIP CALLS
30,787
PASSENGER DAYS
Eastport hosted Virgin Voyage’s first ever visit to Maine and the Canada New England region. The Brilliant Lady hosted several local and state leaders onboard for a plaque and keys exchange and returned two more times before the season was over.
LOCAL BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
When Cruise Ships Call
Cruise tourism touches Eastport in different ways. To better understand its local impact, CruiseMaine spoke with two Eastport business owners—one with deep local roots and another who moved to Eastport and opened a new business in 2025—to hear how cruise visitation has shaped their work, their customers, and their connection to the community.
“Thanks for the warm welcome, Eastport, Maine. Your humor was appreciated and your people, welcoming. I’m taking home a little art along with the memories of whales, mountain ashes, gorgeous vistas and sparkling water. Thank you for your welcoming embrace.”
—Cruise Passenger
PORTLAND
133 SHIP CALLS
200,801
PASSENGER DAYS
Portland saw a decrease in visitation, but continues to be Maine’s busiest cruise port.
During the season CruiseMaine coordinated with CLIA to host multiple environmental tours to educate cruise community stakeholders on the environmental standards that cruise lines are held to, as well as the environmental sustainability efforts cruise lines are proactively taking to support the communities that welcome their vessels. More importantly these tours provided a space for Portland’s community stakeholders and leaders to ask questions and have an open dialogue with cruise industry representatives.
Cruise Portland’s PortShare Promise initiatives returned for a third season with key refinements, including integration of the community feedback hotline into the City of Portland’s established “See, Click, Fix” reporting system.
The City Loop Shuttle remained well utilized. While City Hall and the Portland Museum of Art continued to be popular stops, the program is increasingly driving economic activity beyond Portland’s Downtown. With service to Washington Avenue and Congress Street, businesses—including those in East Bayside—reported welcoming cruise passengers for the first time.
“I really enjoyed Portland. We chose not to take any excursions, but to explore on our own. We took a couple tours... the Trolley and the Fire Truck tour. Both were great, loved the historical information they shared.. the city is easy to move around and on a Sunday all the stores and restaurants were opened. The Craft vendors placed around the city on the side walks were an added bonus.”
—Cruise Passenger
ROCKLAND
47 SHIP CALLS
19,654
PASSENGER DAYS
Rockland City Council sent a draft revision of their cruise ship operating policy to the Harbor Management Commission (HMC), who met to discuss it on Tuesday, December 16. Afterward it was revised slightly and sent back. The HMC met again on Dec. 30, 2025. The new policy would remove seasonal limits, increase the daily passenger cap to 3,600 from 3,000 and allow ships in late May and June. The city hopes to have a final plan to vote on in Q1, 2026.
In 2025, Rockland Main Street led implementation of the PortShare Promise Midcoast initiative with support from dedicated community volunteers. Together, they welcomed cruise visitors as they came ashore, provided informational materials, and served as a friendly point of contact for questions. Throughout the season, Rockland Main Street also continued to gather community feedback and highlight local businesses through its website and outreach efforts.
“I boarded the Holland America Zuiderdam yesterday in Boston with my sister, my mom and my aunt—Girl’s Cruise! This time of year, it’s so great to travel up the northeast coast to see the leaves change color. Today, our first stop was in Rockland, Maine. A new port for me, so we got off the ship to do some exploring. We happened upon this cute little pop-up craft market and I think we purchased a little something from each and every vendor on site. I love supporting local small business people, especially artisans. Weather was absolutely beautiful and so was this quaint seaside town.”
—Cruise Passenger
56 SHIP CALLS
49,576
PASSENGER DAYS
80% REDUCTION
from previous peak seasons of 2019 and 2022
These reductions continue a process that began in 2023, following passage of a citizen-initiated ballot initiative the prior November.
Several parts of this Cruise Ship Ordinance have been upheld in federal court, but there are remaining legal challenges pending in both federal and state court.
While those legal decisions have the potential to change the outlook for Bar Harbor’s cruise sector, at the end of 2025, the trajectory is toward fewer than 20,000 passengers by 2027.
In the meantime, the Town has created a Sustainable Tourism Task Force to begin the work of creating a vision for how tourism and local residents can coexist long into the future.
BAR HARBOR
“Our vacation to Maine was nearly perfect! We cruised the Maine coast in a small ship of only 108 passengers for a week and had perfect weather. I tried lobster for the first time, saw massive trolls, dined on amazing meals, enjoyed Maine’s rocky coastline and Acadia National Park. We traveled with friends and made so many good memories. We highly recommend the Maine Coast cruise with American Cruise Lines.”
—Cruise Passenger
Highlights from Domestic/ACL Ports
In 2025, American Cruise Lines made 116 ship calls across Bangor, Bath, Boothbay Harbor, and Bucksport. The season also marked the first visits to Maine ports by the newest addition to ACL’s fleet, American Patriot, which can accommodate up to 130 guests.
Next season we will continue to see ACL’s fleet expand along the East Coast with the Maiden Voyages of the American Pioneer and American Maverick.
Clean Ports Program Update
In 2025, the Maine Department of Transportation (MEDOT) advanced its EPA Clean Ports Program initiative by completing a competitive RFP process, securing a firm to conduct a comprehensive port electrification study.
The multi-year effort will evaluate the feasibility of supplying shore power for cruise ships at the ports of Portland, Eastport, Rockland, and Searsport, along with additional infrastructure components supporting cargo operations in Portland, Searsport, and Eastport. They anticipate receiving the final report in 2027.
Cruise Canada New England Alliance Initiatives
In 2025, CCNE, Holland America Line (HAL), and local travel agencies partnered to host a series of “On Stage CNE” events in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. These engaging, in-person presentations connected travelers and travel advisors with the distinctive destination experiences available throughout the region. Inspired by HAL’s award-winning On Stage Alaska program, the events helped build broader awareness of Canada & New England itineraries, including the unique offerings found in Maine.
