Ship to Shore - 27 East
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Sag Harbor Express / Editorials / 2202315

Ship to Shore

Editorial Board on Sep 19, 2023

Sag Harbor is a great American small town, so it’s no surprise that tourists flock to the village in the summer — or that American Cruise Lines, a Connecticut-based small ship travel provider, has identified it as a great stop for a “Yankee Seaports” cruise between Boston and New York, set to begin next year.

The negative impact of cruise ships on so many port cities around the world might well give pause. But it’s important to keep the proposal in perspective: The ships contain about 100 passengers, and while there are a few summer dates included, most of the visits would be during the so-called “shoulder season,” when local businesses might welcome the day-trippers who arrive without cars.

But two things are crucial for this little experiment to succeed. First, the village must make clear that the ships are allowed, like any, to moor outside the harbor and send people ashore to Long Wharf via tender. That is the only acceptable option, and that has to be stressed.

And the village has to realize this is a foot in the door — for American Cruise Lines and other operators that will be thrilled to take advantage of the new precedent. Village government has to move quickly, recognize that there is a threat that comes along with the opportunity, and begin to formulate some rules, which might not have seemed necessary before, but now are absolutely necessary. Sag Harbor’s maritime history makes it a perfect port of call, so it’s time to recognize that a new era might be arriving along with those “mature and affluent” cruisers who will be coming ashore starting in May 2024.

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