Portland's cruise-ship season got off to a strong start Sunday when the 781-foot Rotterdam made its maiden call to the city with an estimated 1,200 passengers.
On a weeklong circuit between New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Rotterdam kicked off a succession of 37 passenger-ship visits between now and Halloween.
The Rotterdam will return to the city Sunday on a second stopover.
Last summer, the Rotterdam was cruising the Mediterranean Sea and calling on Venice. Its presence in Maine - in mid-May - reflects changing times in the cruise-ship industry that will benefit the state, according to Jeffrey Monroe, Portland's direc- tor of ports and transportation.
As part of the fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, cruise lines are marketing routes closer to home, expanding their seasons further into the spring and fall and planning their cruises further in advance.
"After Sept. 11," Monroe said, "everyone got nervous about going overseas."
Cruise lines are booking ports of call earlier than usual, Monroe said, to keep ahead of the competition. Last May, for instance, Monroe knew of 10 ships that were planning a call in Portland this year. He already has 38 visits booked for the 2003 season.
The Rotterdam is a case in point. Instead of cruising the Mediterranean, the Holland America vessel is on a Canada and New England journey out of New York City. Stops include Martha's Vineyard, Mass., Halifax, Boston and Newport, R.I.
The promotional copy for the six-hour stopover in Portland reads: "Explore a waterfront without peer, teeming with restaurants specializing in succulent Maine lobster, sophisticated shops and boutiques. Visit the boyhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; tour Kennebunkport, the vacation home of former President George Bush."
The copy also promotes shopping in Freeport and touring Portland Head Light.
Among the local leaders welcoming the Rotterdam as it docked at the Portland Ocean Terminal on Sunday morning was Ted Ney, owner of Gallery Seven on Exchange Street.
President of the Old Port Retail Association, Ney said he recognized many passengers walking around town and checking out the stores.
It's hard to quantify the financial impact of a visit on local merchants, Ney said. Spending depends in part on the demographics of the passengers, as some cruises attract a more upscale crowd.
"Last year," Ney said, "when the QE2 was in, I sold two $2,500 rocking chairs. That was a good kick. I could have closed for the day after that."
Fourteen cruise lines did business in Portland last year and carried 44,374 passengers. A study by Monroe's office estimated that the economic impact of visits last year was $8.7 million, or $198 per passenger.
Portland's deep-water berthing and its location between New York and Canada should help make it an attractive port for cruise lines developing trips in the Northeast, Monroe said. The region has enough variety to maintain interest here, he said, pointing to the Rotterdam's stop at Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard as an example of how cruise lines are being creative about their destinations. By contrast, he said, cruises to Alaska to look at the glaciers have reached the saturation point.
As a spinoff of the changing trends in the cruise-ship industry after Sept. 11, Portland also is marketing itself as a secure port where vessel owners and passengers can feel safe.
The city calls its approach "Safe Port." It focuses on Portland's low crime rate, the accessibility of hospitals, security measures and pier safety. The city has produced a glossy brochure for cruise lines to highlight the safety measures.
"Your port of call should be as ready as your ship," the brochure concludes. "We are. Our team of qualified professionals is ready to discuss any of your security concerns."
Staff Writer Tux Turkel can be contacted at 791-6462 or at: tturkel@pressherald.com
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