Cruise ships sticking closer to home; Maine likely to benefit

PORTLAND – Last summer, the Rotterdam was cruising the Mediterranean Sea and calling on Venice, Italy.

On Sunday, it called on Portland during a weeklong circuit between New York and Halifax, Nova Scotia, reflecting changing times in the cruise ship industry that will benefit Maine, according to Jeff Monroe, Portland’s director 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 September 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. Currently, 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 line vessel is on a Canada and New England journey out of New York City that includes Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Halifax, Boston and Newport, R.I.

As another spin-off of the changing trends in the cruise ship industry after Sept. 11, Portland is marketing itself as a secure port where vessel owners and passengers can feel safe.

The city calls its approach “Safe Port” and 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 in place.

“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.”

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.

Fourteen cruise lines did business in Portland last year and carried 43,803 passengers. A study by Monroe’s office estimated that the total economic impact of visits last year was $8.7 million, or $198 per passenger.

It’s hard to quantify the financial impact of a visit on Portland merchants, said Ted Ney, a gallery owner and president of the Old Port Association. Spending depends in part on the demographics of the passengers, as some cruises – such as the Queen Elizabeth 2 – attract more affluent customers.

“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.”