Proposed federal cruise ship rule opposed in Maine

A proposed federal rule aimed at helping U.S.-flagged cruise ships sailing between California and Hawaii could hurt the cruise ship market in Maine.

more stories like thisState and municipal officials and port businesses are working together to oppose a federal rule that they say would result in cruise ships spending less time in Bar Harbor and Portland and more time in ports in neighboring Canada.

Federal laws require ships flying under foreign flags to dock in another country before going to other U.S. ports. Cruise ships sailing from California to Hawaii, for instance, typically make a token stop in Ensenada, Mexico, to meet the letter of the law.

The proposed rule change would force those ships to stay in a foreign port for at least 48 hours and allow passengers to go ashore.

Supporters say it would make Hawaii cruises more costly for foreign-based cruise lines, bolstering U.S.-flagged ships in the Hawaii cruise ship market.

But the net effect would also force cruise ships that come to Maine each summer and fall to spend more time in Canadian ports. That would likely force them to cut the number of port calls in Maine, said Amy Powers, director of CruiseMaine USA.

"It would drive the ships out of the U.S., and that's just bad business," Powers said.

Bar Harbor, which had more than 130,000 cruise ship passengers in 2007, and Portland, with some 50,000 passengers, would feel the effects most.

More than two-thirds of the ships visiting Bar Harbor were foreign-flagged, meaning they would have to comply with rule, Powers said.

Chris Fogg, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, said it wouldn't make economic sense for Canadian-based ships to stay in a Canadian port for 48 hours just so they could come to Bar Harbor. If those ships stay away, it would hurt Bar Harbor merchants and restaurants.

"It would be devastating to our industry," Fogg said.

Gov. John Baldacci, Maine's congressional delegation and the head of the state Department of Economic and Community Development have expressed opposition to the rule change to U.S. customs officials.

The municipalities of Bar Harbor and Portland, local chamber organizations, the Maine Office of Tourism, the Maine Tourism Association and others have also expressed concerns about the proposed rule change to federal officials, according to Powers.

She said a decision about on the proposed rule change is expected in the next few weeks.

Source:RamblerNews