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January 8, 2009

Rockland wooing cruise ships

By The Mainebiz News Staff

The Rockland City Council is expected to vote next week on a resolve asking the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency to designate Rockland as a port of entry that can handle foreign passenger vessels, reported VillageSoup.

The designation reflects a higher security clearance, which would allow passengers on foreign cruise ships to come ashore. The port's current status prohibits foreign passengers from visiting the town unless they have made an initial U.S. port of call elsewhere.

A report from CruiseMaine, the marketing arm of the Maine Port Authority, showed that visits to Rockland by smaller, U.S. cruise ships have risen from eight in 2003 to 26 in 2008. It also noted the cruise industry contributed $24 million to the Maine economy in 2007.

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