Massive Cruise Ship Now Docked in Maine
It's not uncommon for us to see cruise ships here in the state of Maine. As a matter of fact, during a 'normal' summer, we see dozens of ship calling on both Portland and Bar Harbor. However, given the current global circumstances and the cruise ship industry sitting idle, it seems a little strange that we'd have one here right now, especially in Eastport.
According to WABI, one of the problem's the cruise industry is currently facing is where to park all these big ships. You see, there are (typically) hundreds of cruise ships at sea at any given time. That means, there are always ports available or these giants to dock in. Well, now that most ship are remaining dormant while the world deals with this crisis, they all need a place to go. They can't just drift around in the big pond for month.
This is where the town of Eastport comes in. Yesterday, Norwegian Cruise Lines Riviera cruise ship came sailing into town. Not only was this an incredible sight for the locals to witness, but people from all across the region came to town to witness the spectacle. In fact, local business owners in Eastport said yesterday was their busiest day they've had since being allowed to reopen.
Economically for Eastport this will be a great thing. They don't know how long the ship will be staying, but NCL will be providing $40-$50 thousand a month during its stay to the Maine town. The town plans to use the funds to repay the debt for the construction of their breakwater. In addition, the 131 member crew onboard will be able to disembark and explore the area after their 14 day mandatory quarantine is up.
Check out some of these incredible phone we found from Don Dunbar on Facebook. And remember, you should book a cruise at your first opportunity because cruising is the best thing you could ever do.