Volunteer community organization advances scrubber wash ban, infectious disease protocols, and independent cost analysis as the 2026 cruise season approaches

March 10, 2026 (Portland, Maine)......Portland Cruise Control begins its second year of advocacy with a substantive agenda to address the environmental, public health, and financial impacts of cruise tourism in Portland, Maine. As the city's 2026 season approaches, the organization is moving forward on three key fronts: reducing air and water pollution from cruise ships, strengthening protocols for infectious disease outbreaks, and increasing financial transparency of cruise tourism costs. 

2026 Cruise Season at a Glance

The 2026 cruise season runs from April 16 through November 10. According to Port Call, 86 cruise ships are currently scheduled to dock at city-owned berths (with potentially more being added as in previous years), with an additional 38 vessels operated by American Cruise Lines docking at the private Fore Points Marina. Cruise ships docking at private berths pay no city fees, and their emissions will not be included in the Maine Port Electrification Clean Energy Planning Project currently being conducted by Jacobs Engineering for the Maine Department of Transportation. Portland Cruise Control contends that this omission leaves a significant share of cruise-related pollution unaccounted for in environmental planning. 

Scrubber Wash Ban Advances to Committee

The Scrubber Wash Ban proposal, submitted to the City of Portland in 2025, has advanced to the Sustainability and Transportation Committee, with a discussion scheduled for the April 8 meeting. The proposed ban would prohibit cruise ships from discharging open-loop scrubber wash while at berth — a practice that degrades air quality by converting air emissions into toxic wastewater, which is then discharged directly into Casco Bay.

“A scrubber wash ban will not only protect Portland’s harbor from toxic discharge — it will expose a deceptive ‘greenwashing’ practice, which allows the cruise industry to turn air pollution into water pollution.” Matthew Day, Co-Founder, PCC

Strengthening Infectious Disease Response

On October 26, 2025, the cruise ship Insignia arrived in Portland with an active norovirus outbreak aboard, exposing the city's limited capacity to communicate and respond when infected vessels arrive. In response, Portland Cruise Control has published a proposal to establish a coordinated communication strategy among the port, the Public Health Department, and city residents to minimize the risk of contagion.

The Health and Human Services and Public Safety Committee has requested a presentation from the Public Health Department to outline prevention strategies and protections for residents, employees, and land-based visitors when cruise ships arrive with documented illness outbreaks.

"It is common sense to let folks know when there's an increased risk of disease in the downtown area. Protocols to strengthen communication keeps everyone safer." Councilor Pelletier

Demanding Full Financial Transparency

The Maine Office of Tourism has commissioned two Economic Impact Studies from DRI, on cruise tourism in Maine and Greater Portland, at a combined cost of $147,500. Portland Cruise Control has raised concerns about the scope of these studies: both are limited to revenue analysis only, with no calculations of any costs; infrastructure, operational, administrative, environmental, social, or opportunity. A revenue inventory does not answer critical questions about the actual economics of cruise tourism, which would allow long-range planning rooted in a factual cost-benefit analysis. 

Without a complete accounting of expenditures, these studies risk presenting a misleading picture of cruise tourism's benefit to the city and state. To help fill that gap, Portland Cruise Control has commenced work on a cost calculation that will provide the community with a more complete financial picture that is necessary to understand the net economic benefit of cruise tourism in Portland. 

"The Maine Office of Tourism's study, which will only look at revenue and not costs, is like your doctor selectively telling you only the good news. How are leaders, residents and city staff supposed to make informed decisions without a complete, holistic analysis of the facts? It's critical that we go where ever the numbers lead us, if we want to understand the reality of cruise tourism." Joey Brunelle, PCC member

About Portland Cruise Control

Portland Cruise Control is a volunteer advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that cruise tourism operates with accountability, transparency, and respect for the city's environment and public health. All of the initiatives the organization is advancing are designed to preserve the economic benefits of cruise tourism while demanding responsible practices. Currently, the organization does not seek to reduce the number of port calls or cruise passengers but requests public policy that puts the health and protection of residents and Casco Bay first. portlandcruisecontrolmaine.org

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photo: The Insignia cruise ship docked in Portland, October 26, 2025.