Restrictions May Have Dampened Large Cruise Ships’ Interest in Yorktown
Supervisor’s decision earlier this year requires Special Use Permits for vessels over 400 passengers
Following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, York County indicated that no cruise lines have applied for a Special Use Permit to dock in Yorktown since the Board of Supervisors adopted new regulations earlier this year. “After conducting a thorough search in coordination with several departments, we have determined that there are no documents responsive to your request for any and all communications and/or documentation related to Special Use Permits for ships seeking to disembark passengers in York,” read the County’s email response to the FOIA request. The request covered any SUP applications or related communication since March 1, 2025.
Cruise ship regulations
Though some local residents continue to press for an outright ban, the York County Board of Supervisors earlier this year approved a new ordinance that regulated the process involved with large cruise ships visiting Yorktown. The amendments to the county zoning ordinance implements a new requirement for a Special Use Permit for marinas, docks, or boating facilities serving vessels permitted to carry more than 400 passengers, including the smaller passenger tender vessels that ferry their riders ashore.
As part of the new application process, cruise lines or facility operators will be required to submit detailed traffic studies, environmental protection plans, operational descriptions, and site sketches. The Board can also require additional conditions to mitigate adverse impacts. By setting the threshold at 400 passengers, staff sought to allow river-class vessels while subjecting larger vessels to case-by-case scrutiny. For example, the 100 passenger American Star is slated to visit Yorktown multiple times in October.
Cruise ship controversy
County staff supported the ordinance as a necessary regulatory safeguard, citing positive experiences with smaller riverboats but significant concerns about larger ocean-class cruise ships. The County’s Planning Commission disagreed, and in 2024, they recommended denial of the proposed ordinance noting that it failed to reflect the public’s clear opposition to large cruise ships. Some Commissioners said the ordinance did not go far enough to protect Yorktown’s infrastructure and historic character, suggesting the need for a lower threshold for total passengers needed to impose limits, as well as a cap on total passengers per ship.
For many residents and admirers of Yorktown, even the Special Use Permit framework represents an unacceptable compromise. Opponents of the large ships cite potential pollution, over-tourism, traffic congestion, and damage to the small village atmosphere, arguing that the large vessels represent “floating cities” incompatible with Yorktown’s scale. At the time of this writing, almost 8000 people have signed an on line petition urging the county to bar large cruise ships outright.
The writer used AI tools and the following sources:
York County FOIA response to inquiry regarding discussion or applications for special use permit for large vessels
MEMORANDUM - County Administrator - Application No. ZT-202-24, Large passenger vessels
MEMORANDUM - Planning Department - Application No. ZT-202-24, Large passenger vessels