Cruising is one of the fastest-growing segments of travel, with cruise bookings up 17% in North America between 2019 and 2023. Globally cruise capacity is forecast to grow at least 10% from 2024 to 2028, according to Cruise Lines International Association, and most major cruise lines have at least one new ship under construction. But not every community welcomes the crush of tourists cruise ships can bring.
Related: Silversea unveils its 132-day ultra-luxury cruise for 2028Several U.S. ports have made moves to reduce cruise tourism's impacts.
In Sitka, Alaska, for example, voters will decide in a May 30 special election whether to cap daily cruise arrivals at 4,500. In Juneau, daily visitors are already limited to 16,000 per day and just 12,000 on Saturdays.Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
Several international ports — including Venice, Italy, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, have also implemented limits on daily visits, or disallowing ships over a certain size.Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter. Belfast Harbor in Maine made the decision to limit the size of cruise ships that can enter; only smaller ships with 50 passenders or fewer are allowed.
Image Source: Getty Images Residents say their town is too small for even smaller cruise shipsThe latest port to say "no" to big ships is Belfast, Maine. In November 2022, the town, with 7,000 residents, voted to cap the number of crui.