ROCKLAND – Smaller cruise ships continue to arrive in Rockland Harbor through the end of August 2024, but it’s what’s ahead that has the downtown area bracing itself while others are mobilizing strategic planning for the local business sector.

An additional 18,000 passengers and an anticipated revenue of $2 million is to drop anchor in Rockland in the month of September. A great deal of that revenue comes from charging each cruise ship a per passenger fee.

The cruise ships, some of them on their way to Canada from Boston, making their way to the St. Lawrence Seaway, promote Rockland as: “a quintessential New England coastal town, brimming with historic buildings, cool restaurants and above all, lobster; this is the self-styled lobster capital of the world. The town is nestled along the rocky coastline of central Maine, just a few hours by ship to either Boston or Nova Scotia, Canada. It has an independent, authentic feel, and offers plenty to do on land and water just a stone’s throw from the port.” (Celebrity Silhouette)  

Others describe Rockland as a mecca for foodies: “a taste for fresh, local seafood. Art-lovers will want to visit the Farnsworth Art Museum and Wyeth Center, home painting from three generations of the Wyeth family, as well as Louise Nevelson sculptures. Revisit maritime history at the Maine Lighthouse Museum, located on the Rockland’s waterfront.” (Holland America Lines vessel Zuiderdam, 936 feet in length, 105 feet wide.

In 2017, David Troup, then the communications officer for the Farnsworth Museum, reported that the Farnsworth had seen 18,000 more admission tickets sold as a result of the ship traffic in previous seasons. Sales in downtown area sales increase also, and more passengers hop on tour buses to explore the coastline up to Camden.

To support this substantial growth in cruise ship visits and to prepare for the September surge, the Penobscot Bay Chamber will pilot a comprehensive Best Tourism Management Practices program called Port Share Promise – Midcoast, beginning in late August through the final large ship call on October 1.

The Chamber is hosting a virtual town meeting for its members on Monday, Aug. 26, to help provide passenger support, transportation, information and welcome services, as well as a community “real-time” feedback system. The program has been developed with support from CruiseMaine and the Maine Office of Tourism and is a collaborative effort with the Chamber, Rockland’s Harbormaster, Rockland Main Street, Camden Area Business Group and numerous community volunteers and sponsors.

Speakers will be Brenda Garrand, Garrand Partners, Moderator; Shannon Landwehr, Executive Director, Penobscot Bay Chamber; Sarah Fink, Executive Director, CruiseMaine; and Captain Molly Eddy, Rockland’s Harbormaster.

Through the end of August and into the beginning of September, cruise ships will be relatively small, averaging 100 passengers each. But, on September 7, the waves will start rolling as up to 987 guests of the Odyssey find their land legs.

The Zuiderdam will offer to bring ashore upwards of 1,916 guests on Sept. 8 and 22.

The Celebrity Eclipse brings 3,013 on both Sept. 9 and Sept. 20.

The Queen Mary 2 will carry 3,090 potential visitors on the Sept. 24. The Volendam is to bring 1432 passengers on Sept. 29, and the Celebrity Summit arrives with 2,038 guests on Oct. 1.

Among them will be the smaller 100-plus guests aboard to American Eagle, American Glory, American Independence.

Next year, many of the same larger-quantity vessels are scheduled to return.

View the 2024-2025 cruise ship schedule for Rockland Harbor.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com