Court Upholds Bar Harbour’s Limit on Cruise Guests

Court Upholds Bar Harbour’s Limit on Cruise Guests

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. District Court’s decision that confirmed that Bar Harbour, Maine, can limit the number of cruise guests arriving in the town daily.

According to local sources, the case has now been sent back to the lower court for further comments and additional review.

Three years ago, Bar Harbour residents voted to limit the number of cruise passengers who can disembark in the town to just 1,000 per day.

As reported by Cruise Industry News at the time, the measure was proposed at a referendum and was endorsed by 58 per cent of the voters.

Supporters said that the town felt “overrun” by cruise ship traffic during peak summer months, which caused congestion and excessive traffic.

According to the Portland Press Herald, Bar Harbour welcomed over 270,000 cruise guests before introducing the limit in 2022.

Citing court files, the local news source said that the town typically welcomed 150 cruise ship calls per year.

A group of local businesses subsequently filed a lawsuit alongside pier owners, touring companies and the local pilotage association.

The parties allege that the ordinance breaks federal laws, including those that regulate interstate commerce, while also interfering with requirements for entrance into the United States and denying seafarers access to shore.

In 2024, a federal judge in Bangor found in favour of the town, deciding that Bar Harbour has home rule authority granted by the state.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals now wants the District Court to determine whether the ordinance is “clearly excessive” when it comes to regulating interstate commerce, the Portland Press Herald added.

The newspaper said that the lower court was also asked to explore whether the ordinance meaningfully advances Bar Harbour’s interest in reducing congestion and whether these results could not be achieved through less burdensome means.

Funchal Sets New Record for Passenger Arrivals in November

Funchal Sets New Record for Passenger Arrivals in November

The Port of Funchal set a new record last month with 145,232 cruise passengers, surpassing the previous peak of 108,221 passengers in December 2023.

This marks the highest passenger traffic in the port’s history, according to the Administration of Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA).

The port welcomed 63 cruise ship calls throughout the month, matching the record set in November 2012. However, passenger numbers this year surpassed the 90,327 recorded in 2012.

Additionally, November saw a significant increase in crew activity. A total of 58,685 crew members passed through Funchal and Porto Santo, surpassing last year’s record of 41,685. 

There was also a 50 per cent increase in cruise ship calls and a 57.68 per cent rise in passenger movement compared to November 2023. Madeira is on track to break last year’s record of over 624,000 passengers, having already welcomed 590,969 passengers and 221,391 crew members by November.

November was also a month of recognition for the Port of Funchal, which received the award for the World’s Best Cruise Terminal for Sustainability from the World Cruise Awards.

“It is extremely important for us that these international awards, which recognize the quality of our destination and port infrastructure, continue to be accompanied by these economic results. They represent a significant added value not only for us, as the Port Authority, but also for the entire regional business ecosystem,” said Paula Cabaço, president of APRAM’s Board of Directors. “We work for the benefit of the Region.”

 

Port Canaveral Breaks Record with 6.8 Million Cruise Passengers in 2023

Port Canaveral Breaks Record with 6.8 Million Cruise Passengers in 2023

Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO, delivered the annual State of Port address on November 8 at Cruise Terminal 1.

The world’s busiest cruise port, Port Canaveral, set an all-time high with 6.8 million cruise passengers in financial year 2023.

The port homeported 13 ships and received 906 ship calls, according to a press release.

Port Canaveral’s operational income reached an unprecedented $191 million, including a record-breaking $158 million from cruise operations, he said.

“This Port is an economic powerhouse in the state of Florida,” Murray said. “Central Florida benefits immensely from our operations, with numerous jobs created, businesses thriving, and increased tourism. We play a crucial role in supporting Florida’s tourism industry.”

In 2024 the port is expected to homeport 13 cruise ships, hosting 7.3 million passengers and anticipating 913 ship calls. In order to handle the growing cruise traffic, the Port will dedicate $78 million from its Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Projects budget to Port-wide parking improvements.

Additional improvements will include a new camp store, pavilion renovations, road paving, and RV site upgrades at the Port’s Jetty Park.

“We’re very excited for the future,” Murray said. “We have some great assets coming online in the next few years and a lot of surprises for the business as a whole.”

Amsterdam bans cruise ships to limit visitors and curb pollution

Costa Medditrannia berthed in Amsterdam photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Amsterdam's council has banned cruise ships from the city centre as the Dutch capital tries to limit visitor numbers and curb pollution.

Politicians said the vessels were not in line with the city's sustainable ambitions.

It means the central cruise terminal on the River IJ near Amsterdam's main train station will close.

It is the latest measure to clamp down on mass tourism in the city.

Cruise ships have become a symbol of the problem, with more than 100 mooring in the capital every year.

The council has been trying to scrub up the city, banning cannabis smoking on the streets of the red-light district.

In March the city launched an online campaign urging young British men considering holding their bachelor parties in Amsterdam to stay away.

Amsterdam has become a victim of its own popularity, attracting 20 million annual visitors - some drawn by its party city reputation.

"Cruise ships in the centre of the city don't fit in with Amsterdam's task of cutting the number of tourists," said Ilana Rooderkerk of the liberal D66 party, which runs the city along with the Labour party and environmentalists.

Ms Rooderkerk recently compared cruise tourists to a type of "plague of locusts" descending all at once on the city.

Iconic buildings in Amsterdam are great for Photographers credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Other Amsterdam officials have baulked at that kind of language. But Mayor Femke Halsema complained last year that cruise tourists were let loose for a couple of hours, ate at international chains and had no time to visit a museum, consuming the city but doing little for it.

The other key reason for removing cruise ships is to lower air pollution levels in Amsterdam. A 2021 study of one big cruise ship found that it had produced the same levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in one day as 30,000 trucks.

Other mooring sites away from the city centre have been under consideration for some time but no decision has yet been taken.

In a separate development, Amsterdam has announced plans to beef up night-time culture for young people.

The city has outlined its aim to find nightclub locations such as disused tunnels and garages to develop the talent of "creative young people who want to organise something at night".

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Lifts COVID Restrictions for Cruise Passengers

St. Vincent and the Grenadines Lifts COVID Restrictions for Cruise Passengers

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has removed COVID protocols for cruise passengers for the 2022-23 season, according to a press release.

Carlos James, the tourism minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, made the announcement to stakeholders this week, during the 28th Florida Caribbean Cruise Association Conference in the Dominican Republic.

“In spite of the many challenges encountered in the last two cruise seasons, from a global health pandemic to the eruption of our country’s La Soufriere volcano, your strategic partnership allowed us to navigate those turbulent times,” commented James on the decision.

In addition, the tourism minister assured stakeholders and leaders in the cruise industry that St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be risk-free and safe to visit during the 2022–2023 cruise season.

Following a period of low infections globally and low COVID-related admissions to the island's medical facilities, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has decided to relax its health protocols for arriving cruise passengers, claims the tourism minister.

The multi-island State put protocols in place to help cruise travellers during the most recent cruise season, including safe zones set up for vaccinated cruise travellers. St. Vincent and the Grenadines will replace these protocols with more relaxed health regulations for the upcoming 2022–2023 cruise season, allowing unvaccinated passengers to visit the area for the first time in two years.

Canada Drops COVID-19 Entry Requirements for Cruise Passengers

Canada Drops COVID-19 Entry Requirements for Cruise Passengers

Transport Canada has announced that starting October 1, 2022, all COVID-19 border requirements, including vaccination, mandatory use of ArriveCAN, and any testing and quarantine/isolation requirements will end for all travellers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea, according to a statement.

Prior to this cruise guests were required to download and use the ArriveCAN app and provide proof of vaccination plus a negative COVID-19 test result. 

“We applaud these decisions by Transport Canada to make visiting the country easier and more convenient for all guests sailing our popular Alaska and Canada/New England itineraries, and look forward to welcoming everyone on our incredible Alaska and Canadian cruises,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “Alaska and Canadian cruises are among the most desired vacation options in the world, and we look forward to welcoming everyone who’s waited the past three years for this market to fully open.”

According to Transport Canada, a set of guidelines will remain to protect passengers and crew, which will align with the approach used in the United States.

San Diego to Welcome Ships and Passengers Back

The Port of San Diego will welcome the return of cruise lines and cruise passengers on Friday, October 1, when the Disney Wonder and Grand Princess will be the first sailings out of San Diego since spring 2020. The Disney Wonder is setting sail for a four-day cruise beginning in San Diego to Cabo San Lucas and back. The Grand Princess sailing will begin in Los Angeles on September 30 and stop in San Diego on October 1 on its way to Ensenada and back to Los Angeles.

The port said it currently anticipates more than 100 cruise calls through May 2022. Those calls will primarily be from Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Disney Cruise Line.

According to a prepared statement, health and safety is a top priority. To safely resume cruising, the port said it is working with the cruise lines, along with various other local, state, and federal agencies to put extra precautions in place to minimize community spread of and exposure to COVID-19.

In conjunction with the cruise lines, precautions include that all crew members and eligible guests must be fully vaccinated (currently ages 12 and up; in special and rare cases, medical exemptions may be allowed, but Celebrity, Holland America, and Princess must maintain that at least 95% of all guests are vaccinated; Disney Cruise Line will be testing all guests on embarkation days).

All unvaccinated guests must provide negative PCR test results between three days and 24 hours before embarkation day. All persons must complete a health screening form to declare they have been vaccinated, are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, and had a recent negative COVID-19 test result (if pre-testing was required by the cruise line).

All persons must wear a face covering while inside the cruise ship terminal.

Whenever possible while in the cruise terminals, all persons are strongly encouraged to social distance from other persons, not in their own travelling party.

To prevent an influx of passengers and to help ensure social distancing, the cruise lines have implemented a passenger appointment system for check-in/screening times.

The port will be fully cleaning and disinfecting the terminals immediately following each embarkation and disembarkation, plexiglass partitions have been installed in some areas, and hand sanitiser will be available throughout the terminals.

San Diego is California’s third busiest cruise port behind Long Beach and Los Angeles. And, according to the port, each homeported cruise has an economic impact of $2 million. While a single in-transit call (one stop on the cruise itinerary) generates a total impact to the region of nearly $600,000.

 

Symphony of the Seas Welcomes Cruise Passengers Back in Miami

The world’s largest cruise ship is welcoming the passengers back today. Sailing from Miami, the Symphony of the Seas is relaunching service for Royal Caribbean International with a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

On its first cruise in 17 months, the Royal Caribbean International ship is visiting four ports in three different countries. After leaving Miami, the vessel is set to visit Cozumel and Costa Maya, in Mexico, before arriving in Honduras, with a call in Roátan.

A stop in Perfect Day at CocoCay concludes the itinerary, which also features two days at sea. A popular port of call, the private destination is located in the Bahamas and features unique attractions, including North America’s tallest waterslides.

The destination will be a regular stop for the 2018-built vessel during the year. Through December, the ship is set to sail alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises from Miami.

An enlarged and improved version of the original Oasis-class ships, the Symphony of the Seas is currently the biggest cruise vessel in the world. With a capacity of over 5,400 passengers, the vessel has several distinctive features, including the ten-deck drop Ultimate Abyss slide.

Other highlights are the AquaTheater – an open-air, fountain-filled show lounge – and the Central Park – a park at sea, with real plants and its own set of shops and restaurants.

With its first cruise about to be underway, the Symphony is the tenth Royal Caribbean International vessel in service.

It also became the second of four ships to resume operations for the company this week.

On August 13, the Ovation of the Seas welcomed the passengers back, kicking off a shortened Alaska season.

On Sunday, both the Harmony of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas are marking their service restarts. While the former is set to sail from Barcelona for a Mediterranean cruise, the latter is departing Galveston on a Western Caribbean itinerary.

The Oasis of the Seas is reentering service next, with its first cruise departing Cape Liberty.

3 New, Hip Miami Hotels for Cruise Passengers

The Miami Beach Edition, Thompson Miami Beach and Yve Hotel Miami are ideal for discerning cruise passengers before and after sailingBy: Jimmy Im

PortMiami sees four million cruise passengers a year, with 15 cruise lines sailing away to tropical destinations. Considering Miami’s top hotels, buzzing restaurants and myriad attractions, cruise passengers spend several days exploring the city pre- and post-sail.

To help your clients plan the perfect Miami visit, we rounded up three of Miami’s newest properties, all very unique in the hotel landscape.   

The Miami Beach Edition
Take three household names, give them a prime location on South Beach and prepare for the most game-changing hotel the destination has seen in 20 years: The Miami Beach Edition.  

Hotelier Ian Schrager, who put Miami on the map with the highbrow crowd more than 20 years ago with the opening of Delano Hotel, returns with an over-the-top, outside-the-box, whimsical hotel that defies all expectations of a Miami luxury property. 

For one, it’s the first hotel on the beach where you can see the sea from the lobby. It’s also the first hotel with a separate, exclusive wing featuring one and two-level, ocean-view bungalows. In the basement, there’s ice skating and a bowling alley. And two outdoor pools are linked to a sprawling lawn, separate on-site beach area with beach bags and, of course, a snazzy outdoor bar. 

Additionally, the spa is a highlight with steam rooms, a sauna and a massive fitness center. The hotel is glitz and glam in all the right places, particularly for money-is-no-object, Instagram-bragging travelers. Standard rooms with no view and no balcony average $600. Internationally-acclaimed Yabu Pushelberg design firm was careful with the interiors, preserving architectural details from the historic building while staying true to Schrager’s vision. 

Schrager also partnered with world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten to handle all food and beverage. Clients will enjoy getting all dolled up for the signature restaurant Matador Room, a scene-stealer thanks to the unique, oval-shaped dining room. Here, Vongerichten offers his modern take on Latin cuisine inspired by Spanish, Caribbean and South American flavors. 

Rooms at The Miami Beach Edition start at $429. 

www.editionhotels.com

Thompson Miami Beach
Thompson Hotel has been banging out cool properties across the country, and Thompson Miami Beach — opened November 2014 — is the company’s most ambitious. While Thompson typically panders to the hip, jet-set variety, Thompson Miami Beach is groovy for all types of travelers. 

Young and old alike will appreciate the well-preserved art deco design for its unique, retro-modern allure. Most of the hotel is outdoors — from the rooftop spa to the Crown Room vista deck to the exclusive sunbeds on the beach — which ensures your clients will get loads of that famous Florida sun. 

The 380 guestrooms are understated, artsy and comfortably spacious, but most visitors sprawl out at the hotel’s two outdoor (and heated) pools, where sunbeds on a tiered deck ensure that everyone gets a view of all the action. There’s also an open-air spa, which features six cabanas.

Another next-level on-property feature is the historic 1930s house. It’s an actual, vintage home that was moved across the street to the hotel and transformed into a swanky lounge for the perfect, craft-cocktail nightcap. 

Foodies have raged in all the right ways at signature restaurant Seapgrape, helmed by Miami-born, celebrity chef. The Florida brasserie has garnered massive attention from locals, who approve of Bernstein’s creative and refined spin on the locavore-friendly menu featuring local produce, fish and other ingredients. 

Rooms at Thompson Miami Beach start at $359. 

www.thompsonhotels.com

Yve Hotel Miami
Open since December 2014 in downtown Miami, Yve Hotel Miami (formerly B2 Hotel) is a terrific boutique hotel for travelers not looking to splurge. It’s also a preferred hotel for cruise passengers, considering its convenient location next to Port Miami. 

This 243-room property truly stands out by plugging into Miami’s local culture as much as possible. It taps into the city’s strong Latin influence by placing a Cuban coffee cart in the lobby and offers a taste of Miami’s thriving art scene through a partnership with a local gallery, Art Bastion, to curate hotel installations. Guests especially enjoy Miami-raised restaurateur’s Jeffrey Chodorow’s Biscayne Tavern, which serves craft beers and elevated comfort food. 

Chic, nautical-themed guest rooms (in seven categories) come equipped with bay and city views, high-end Nest toiletries and seriously cushy beds. But guests might spend little time actually at the hotel as some of Miami’s best attractions are literally steps away. 

Yve Hotel Miami is easy walking distance to Adrienne Arsht Center for concerts, opera and Broadway shows; American Airlines Arena for sporting events; and Bayfront Park for leisurely strolls or work outs (Yve can provides a jogging route, and yoga mats are available upon request). The new, buzzing Perez Arts Museum is a 20-minute walk, and Wynwood Art District (chockfull of restaurants and galleries) is a short Uber ride away. Miami Beach is about a 10-minute drive. 

Rooms at Yve Hotel Miami start at $130. 

www.yvehotelmiami.com

£2.4bn poured into Britain's coffers last year

Cruise news

: £2.4bn poured into Britain's coffers last year with more than 1 million passengers getting on boardIndustry's contribution to country's economy highlighted at Barcelona convention

Ship shape: the port at Southampton welcomes a cruise liner

The cruise industry contributed £2.4billion to Britain’s economy last year, with passengers spending an average of £80 a day each during visits to UK ports such as Southampton and Dover

Latest figures compiled by CruiseBritain show that in 2013 there was a 10% year-on-year increase in cruise embarkations, to 1.04 million, and a 20% increase in day visits, to 866,000. The spend includes crew expenditure, cruise line purchases, ship repair, and employee salaries.

“Cruise tourism is a valuable source of income to ports and destinations across Britain and is increasingly being factored into local and regional tourism,” said Daren Taylor, chair of CruiseBritain, speaking at the Seatrade Med convention in Barcelona.

In the Mediterranean, while other tourism sectors have seen no increase in performance, cruising has grown in volume by 43% since the global recession struck in 2008.

Across the region, there were 27 million passenger movements: 19 million in the Western Med, five million in the Adriatic, and – reduced by concerns over violence in the Middle East – three million in the Eastern Med.

Referring to the fact that most cruise calls to ports in Ukraine have been cancelled this summer, David Dingle, chairman of Carnival UK, said political conflict in the Black Sea area dates back centuries. “They are a fact if life we just live with,” he said.

A proposal to provide an alternative to dredging a new channel for cruise ships visiting Venice was submitted to the Italian government this week.

Lagoon show: a cruise ship sails past St Mark's Square in Venice

 

A £101million floating jetty, capable of handling up to five ships at a time, would be set up in the sea near Bocca di Lido, and passengers would be transported into the city’s cruise terminal by a large, environmentally-friendly catamaran.

Carnival’s David Dingle still believes the deep channel proposal to be the preferred option, and told Seatrade Med: “What we want is certainty, but we want to do the right thing by all the stakeholders in this debate.”

Bahamas courting cruise passengers with Balmoral Beach in Nassau

By Tom Stieghorst

In the latest attempt to make a Caribbean port more attractive to return visitors, a group of investors in the Bahamas has redeveloped the former Blackbeard’s Cay and renamed it, providing more for cruise passengers to do when stopping in Nassau.

The attraction, which reopened last month as Balmoral Beach, is one response to the cruise industry’s call for destinations in the Caribbean and the Bahamas to refresh their appeal.

About $5 million has been invested to improve the beach on Balmoral, according to Bahamian press reports. The operator of the resort, Samir Andrawos, was unavailable for comment.

The redeveloped area, which is being used by Carnival Cruise Lines, includes a white-sand beach with lounge chairs and umbrellas, four bars, an indoor restaurant, cabanas and a gift shop.

Other cruise lines have fostered similar day excursions. Royal Caribbean International, for example, last year partnered with Jamaica’s best-known beer to open Red Stripe Beach near the port of Falmouth, where its Oasis and Allure of the Seas ships dock.

Such beaches provide a less expensive option for passengers than excursions to luxury hotels or waterpark resorts. An excursion to Red Stripe Beach, which has a bar and grill, showers and chairs for rent, costs $24.

Balmoral Beach occupies part of an island off Cable Beach, the other half of which is the site of Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort’s offshore island. Blackbeard’s Cay, which had a stingray attraction, closed in 2012, and Andrawos was hired to improve it.

Andrawos runs the destination management company St. Maarten Sightseeing Tours.

Balmoral Beach is hosting excursions from Carnival, which charges $49.99 per adult. It is reached via a launch from the cruise ship pier in downtown Nassau.

Reviews posted on Carnival’s website have praised the new beach and attentive staff but panned the boat ride as lengthy and crowded.

Balmoral costs less than a beach excursion to Atlantis, the mega-resort on Paradise Island, which is priced at $99 including lunch. Guests can pay for Balmoral products and services with the Carnival Sign and Sail card.

In Jamaica, Royal developed a beach that is exclusive to its guests, about 10 minutes by bus from the cruise port. It leased the property and entered a branding partnership with Red Stripe to develop it.

It has fewer facilities than Balmoral Beach, but it also provides a less expensive beach option than, for example, a more inclusive beach excursion to the Hilton Rose Hall Resort near Falmouth, which costs $139.

In Nassau, some merchants along downtown’s Bay Street fear that the Balmoral development will eventually hurt their businesses because passengers can visit the site without even leaving the cruise ship piers.

David Johnson, director general of the Bahamas Tourism Ministry, said that Carnival provides about 1.9 million of Nassau’s 4 million annual cruise ship arrivals. He also noted that those visitor numbers are up from 500,000 in 1995.

“Nassau is now the world’s largest transit cruise port,” Johnson asserted.

As the number of cruise visitors to Nassau grows, they need more things to do, Johnson said. In addition to the private development at Balmoral, the government is making improvements on Bay Street, he said.

“We’re really on a path to completely revamping what we know as downtown Nassau,” Johnson said.

Among other changes to Nassau, a new permanent Straw Market was opened last year to replace the one that burned a decade ago. Pompey Square, a green space in front of the Hilton British Colonial, was dedicated in June and has opened up Bay Street and made it more pedestrian-friendly, Johnson said.

Cargo traffic has been rerouted off Bay Street to Arawak Island, and there is a 10-year plan to extend a boardwalk east from the cruise pier almost to the bridge to Paradise Island, he said.

There are also plans to redo Festival Place, where cruise passengers enter Nassau, to increase its capacity from 5,000 to 25,000 a day, Johnson said.