Reprint of Washington Post article, 'In some port towns, it’s residents vs. cruises'

BAR HARBOR, Dec. 15, 2024 - I have been waiting for some time for a national newspaper to seize upon the story of the citizens fight against the cruise ship industry here.

Today, I was alerted by many readers to this article by the Washington Post on the global fight by communities like Bar Harbor to preserve their quality of life against the cruise ship industry:

The reporter, Andrea Sachs, calls towns like Bar Harbor “pocket ports.” Unlike Miami and much bigger industrialized destinations, these smaller ports face the much bigger challenge of preserving their small town sensibility against the throngs of invading passengers which change the character of their communities.

She wrote:

“Around the world, from Venice to Juneau, Alaska, to Bar Harbor, Maine, residents are rising up against what they consider a scourge on their communities. They fear the vessels that they say pollute their air and water, drain the local economy and dispatch overwhelming crowds that diminish their quality of life. In Bar Harbor, for example, locals have described chaotic cruise days as packed as Times Square.

“Marcie Keever, the San Francisco-based director of the oceans and vessels program at Friends of the Earth, said the grassroots movement is gaining momentum — and purchase. Cruise opponents are employing an array of strategies to curtail the industry, such as limiting the size of the ships or the number of passengers permitted onshore.

“They are pushing for gambling bans or environmental regulations. They are prohibiting the cruise lines from using their public piers or security operations. As the public opinion of tourism has soured overseas in cities already besieged by foreign visitors, destinations such as Venice and Amsterdam are banning the vessels from their central districts.

“The citizen groups say they face staggering odds, but complacency is not an option. They are fighting back with protests, voting blocs and, crucially, coordinated efforts across borders. The Global Cruise Activist Network, founded in 2020, is one such collective, with a stated mission to build “a big tent” coalition.

“If you can’t live in your own city,” said Ross Klein, a retired professor and cruise industry expert, “you either move or you fight.”

The article also invoked a PBS documentary which aired in September called, “Cruise Boom,” which is worth viewing.

Please let me know if you cannot access the Post article because of its paywall and I will email the text directly.

The Post article covered many of the community battles I have reported on - Juneau, Alaska, Key West, Charleston, S.C. But the Yorktown, VA. standoff against Carnival Cruise Lines was news to me.

I am working on a follow-up and hope to publish it this week.