Belfast ME (Maine)

Belfast ME is a port town in Waldo County (Maine USA) with a population of around 7,000. The port is located at the mouth of the Passagassawakeag River estuary (Penobscot Bay).

The namesake is Belfast (Northern Ireland).

In March 2025, Port Belfast ME unanimously voted to ban larger cruise vessels (with passenger capacity over 50) from berthing. The decision was explained with the channel's size and the port's limited docking space. Before approving the ban, Belfast Port's cruise schedule for 2025 listed 14 ship calls.

As a cruise port, Belfast ME is included in the regular schedule of the USA's largest river cruise company - American Cruise Lines.

The next table shows ACL's 7-night/8-day "Maine Coast and Harbors" itinerary as ports sequence.

Prices started from ~USD 3100 per person with double occupancy.

Belfast ME features colonial architecture in historic districts and remains very popular among tourists with its best-known attractions Free Library (1887-founded), the Historical Society and Museum, Perry's Nut House, Front Street Shipyard, City Park (1904-established).

During the early 1990s, the credit-card giant MBNA established two facilities here. The company was of great importance to the Hutchinson Center (University of Maine). Jobs provided by MBNA (acquired by Bank of America) resulted in a significantly increased population. The Bank consolidated former MBNA operations in the larger of the two facilities. MBNA's smaller complex was acquired by Athenahealth Inc (private US company specializing in network-enabled IT services for healthcare mobile apps).

Shipbuilding was re-established in 1996 via the opening of French & Webb Inc - wooden yacht building and repairs/restoration company. In 2013, Front Street Shipyard opened a boatyard on Belfast Bay. Both companies restored the city's shipbuilding waterfront and helped revive its economy.