“Enchantment of the Seas" As Seen From Portland Yacht Services [/caption]

By Carol McCracken (Post # 877)

“Enchantment of the Seas” has made many routine stops in Portland Harbor before. But today there was something different about her arrival in Portland. She is the first ship to use the much-anticipated mega-birth. According to passengers strolling the sunny and warm Commercial Street this afternoon, the Captain announced to passengers this morning the docking took him longer than usual because this was the first time he’d used Portland’s mega-birth. The Captain said “it was a tight fit.”

The ship carrying about 2,250 passengers and 870 crew members left Baltimore, MD. late Thursday afternoon. Passengers said the swells were 7 ft. tall and several mhn.com talked to were sea sick. One of those was a gentleman who worked on Naval Sea Systems all his life. “I never, until this cruise, got sick on ships,” he said, laughing. The sea didn’t calm down until this morning when the luxury liner passed the coast of New Jersey. She left around 7 pm for Bar Harbor and Halifax, NS. Then it will return to Boston and end the 9 day cruise where it began – in Baltimore.

Tom Hodick, Grand Isle, NY said he was “extremely and pleasantly surprised” by his visit in Portland. Portland has “made lemonade out of lemons. The prices here are very reasonable.”

Mayor Nick Mavadones said this was a “soft opening” that went very well. There will be a more formal opening at a later date. He said the first docking had gone well.

Sixty-five ships carryng a record-setting 92,367 passengers are expected to call to the Port of Portland from June to October this year. The berthing schedule includes a number of maiden visits including Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, the Caribbean Princess and the Norwegian Jewel.

workinprogress…