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.
For Richard Sullivan and Jared Hagan, owners of Picnic Café & Bakery, Eastport represents a new beginning. For Don Dunbar, owner of Eastern Maine Images, it is home in the truest sense of the word. Together, their experiences illustrate how cruise visitation is helping sustain local businesses, extend the season, and reinforce Eastport’s reputation as
“The Most Welcoming Port City in the World.”
NEW BEGINNINGS FIND HARBOR
From the moment they opened their doors, Richard and Jared say Eastport welcomed them wholeheartedly. “We have had nothing but support from day one! Many in the community have expressed their gratitude for choosing Eastport to call home and have made us feel so welcome. Our hope is to fulfill a need in Eastport and beyond and I think we found our little niche.”
Located on Water Street—often the first stop for cruise guests coming ashore, unless they’re headed straight onto a tour bus for a shore excursion—the café quickly found its place in the ebb and flow of cruise days. While both owners grew up in seasonal coastal communities and understood the rhythms of tourism, cruise visitation proved especially meaningful during their first year of operation. As they put it, “we have been very blessed to meet all kinds of wonderful visitors who are impressed with how Eastport rolls out the red carpet for the cruise guests. This has greatly enhanced our bottom line especially in the shoulder season of September and October. It was also a great training ground for us to forecast and order appropriately for each ship.”
As they look ahead, Richard and Jared see their role in Eastport as a long-term commitment. One of the most rewarding aspects of opening the café, they say, has been building a team of local staff, including residents from the nearby Pleasant Point reservation. For them, growth isn’t just about expanding the business—it’s about investing in the people and community around them.
ANCHORED IN EASTPORT
For Don Dunbar, owner of Eastern Maine Images, Eastport isn’t a new chapter—it’s home. Born and raised in town, Don has always loved being outdoors, often noticing scenes that felt meant to be photographed long before he owned a camera. After serving in the military, he began pursuing photography more seriously while working at a local factory. When that factory closed, and a little encouragement from his wife to “do what you love,” Don leaned fully into photography. He’s now been behind the lens for 20 years, and his gallery on Water Street has been a fixture in Eastport for the past decade.
Don describes Eastport simply, “a lot of people say they can’t explain it, but there’s just something about Eastport—it’s welcoming, peaceful, and full of history.” Having lived in the community both before and after the growth of cruise tourism, he’s seen how its presence has changed the town. From his perspective, “the biggest positive is that the ships are bringing in money that people and businesses here really need. It’s also opening Eastport up to a lot of people who may never have heard of it otherwise—some of those folks may come back on their own someday to vacation here, and I think that’s a good thing for the town.”
From a business standpoint, cruise visitation made a meaningful difference in 2025. As Don explains, “the cruise ships made a big difference this year. Regular tourist visitors seemed to be spending less, and the cruise passengers helped make up for that. A few of the ships brought record-breaking days at my gallery this fall—and honestly, if it hadn’t been for the fall cruise season, this winter would have been a lot more of a struggle for my business.”
Equally important to Don has been the nature of the visitors themselves. “The cruise passengers I’ve met in the gallery have been overwhelmingly happy to be in Eastport,” he says, noting that they genuinely enjoy the town’s true Maine feel—how they can “just walk around at a much quieter pace than other places they visit.” He’s also noticed that many enjoy stopping into local shops and talking with people, adding that “everyone I’ve interacted with has seemed genuinely happy with how friendly and welcoming Eastport is.”
A SHARED PERSPECTIVE
Both new and longtime business owners acknowledge that cruise growth comes with challenges. Richard and Jared point to the need for public restrooms and transportation options that better support guests with mobility challenges. Don highlights the pressure busy ship days can place on local food options, particularly when passengers are tendered directly into downtown. Still, all agree that these are solvable issues—and worth addressing given the benefits cruise tourism brings.
At its best, they believe cruise tourism doesn’t change what makes Eastport special—it helps sustain it. By supporting small businesses, extending the visitor season, and encouraging guests to return, cruise visitation plays a meaningful role in Eastport’s long-term vitality, strengthening a community that prides itself on authenticity, resilience, and a warm welcome.
