While the monster cruise ships that visit Portland and Bar Harbor bring the most cruise ship travelers to Maine, small cruise lines offer destinations the big boats miss, including Boothbay Harbor.

For the last four years, American Cruise Lines has been visiting Boothbay Harbor as part of its coastal Maine harbors tour. Two of its ships, the 215-foot, 100 passenger Independence and the 166-foot, 49 passenger American Glory, will bring over 2,000 passengers to Boothbay Harbor this year.

The Independence begins its visits this Thursday, June 13 and is scheduled to visit each Thursday through September. The American Glory begins its Maine harbor tours in July and is scheduled to stop in Boothbay Harbor on six Sundays this year.

While in town, the cruise ships dock at Wotton’s Wharf for a five-hour Boothbay Harbor stop. Passengers are greeted with the option of two shuttle destinations, downtown Boothbay Harbor or the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Catherine Fossett Wygant said she will also be meeting the Independence when it docks June 13. The Chamber provides region guides and maps to arriving passengers throughout the season.

Cruise ship professionals report that Maine harbors are an attractive destination for travelers. “The Maine Coast has always been a popular itinerary for us,” said Britt Rabinovici, American Cruise Lines Press Director. “It does well every year and each year we introduce more and more people to its pristine coast and wonderful ports, Boothbay Harbor included.”

Amy Powers, Director CruiseMaine USA, which promotes the Maine cruise ship industry and receives $600 in annual dues from the Chamber, said the Botanical Gardens is a draw to the region for both the small and large cruise ships.

“Perhaps, the most interesting story with regard to Boothbay Harbor is the attention the Botanical Gardens is getting,” Powers said. She said increasingly cruise ship passengers in Portland are being offered the opportunity to motor to Boothbay for a Gardens tour.

Although only in Boothbay Harbor for five hours, affluent cruise ship passengers provide an economic boost that can mean a lot to local business owners. “The influx of passengers to the local merchants and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is a welcome incentive to businesses and helps the local economy,” Wygant Fossett wrote in an email.

Powers and Rabinovici said American Cruise Line travelers are an upscale group with spending power. “American Cruise Lines’ guests are affluent, highly educated and well-traveled,” Rabinovici said. “Our guests come from all over the U.S. and different parts of the globe including Western Europe, the U.K., Australia and Canada.”

University of Maine research backs up Rabinovici’s statements. A 2009 UMaine study found that Maine cruise ship passengers tend to be older, more educated and have higher average incomes than the general population.

Researchers also found that cruise ship passengers spend on average about $80 per person while in Maine ports.

Experts also say that once cruise ship passengers have discovered the Maine coast, they often return. American Cruise Lines sees a lot of return passengers on its Maine harbors tours, Rabinovici said.

“Passengers love the coast of Maine,” Powers agreed. “Sixty to seventy percent of passengers are repeat cruisers.” UMaine researchers also found that many cruise ship passengers return to Maine ports visited while cruising on subsequent independent trips to Maine.

Wygant Fossett said the Chamber hopes to develop a greater outreach program for arriving passengers so they get the most out of their visit to the region.

“Eventually we would like to have a team of volunteers to do a meet and greet to welcome the passengers to town,” Wygant Fossett said. Anyone interested in that effort is encouraged to contact the Chamber at 207-633-2353.