BANGOR – The 165-foot cruise ship American Eagle will board passengers at Bangor for seven consecutive trips the next two summers, bringing an economic boost to the city.

American Cruise Lines, which operates the American Eagle, recently added Bangor to its roster of home ports. This week the company released its 2003-2004 schedule. The American Eagle will call at its home port seven times in July through September in 2003 and seven times during the same period in 2004.

When the cruise line announced it planned to use the Bangor waterfront last fall, city officials welcomed the move, saying it could pump between $500,000 and $750,000 a year into the local economy.

“When you serve as the home port, you get the true economic impact of a cruise ship visit,” Jonathan Daniels, the city’s business and economic development director, said Thursday.

As Daniels sees it, the vessel’s regular stops here will generate new traffic for local hotels, restaurants and shops.

The schedule for both years also coincides with the National Folk Festival, set this year for Aug. 22-24.

“What a wonderful backdrop for [cruise ship passengers] visiting the waterfront,” he said.

Passengers who sign up for the line’s Maine Coast & Harbors Cruise will leave the Bangor waterfront early Saturday afternoon for weeklong cruises to a selected half-dozen harbors on the Maine coastline, including Rockland, Camden, Castine and Bar Harbor.

The ship will return to Bangor on Friday, at which time, city officials hope, passengers will take full advantage of the city’s restaurants, hotels and shops.

The American Eagle made the city an unexpected port of call last August when rough waters and strong winds prompted the vessel’s captain to seek shelter in the calmer waters of the Penobscot River, stopping in Belfast and Bangor.

On the Bangor waterfront that day, city officials greeted the 49 passengers and 19 crew with souvenirs, a short oral history of the city and an offering of brownies and root beer.

While the warm welcome did help lure the vessel back to Bangor last summer, the cruise line’s decision to move its embarking point from Portland to Bangor also was aimed at avoiding the sometimes rough waters in and around Casco Bay, according to officials at the Haddam, Conn.-based American Cruise Lines.

Daniels added that Bangor is easily accessible by air through Bangor International Airport or from the interstate highway system.

Departure dates for 2003 are July 26, Aug. 2., Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Aug. 23, Aug. 30 and Sept. 6, according to the schedule posted on American Cruise Lines’ Web site.

Next year’s dates are July 24, July 31, Aug. 7, Aug. 14, Aug. 21, Aug. 28 and Sept. 4.

American Cruise Lines offers cruise options on two ships along the East Coast from Florida to Maine. The American Eagle’s sister ship is the American Glory.

The American Eagle, built in 2000 by Chesapeake Ship Building in Salisbury, Md., has a capacity of 49 passengers. Each of the 31 staterooms offers views from large opening picture windows. Some also have private balconies.

Amenities include several glass-enclosed lounges and an observation deck. The staff includes a chef and onboard naturalists and historians.

Cruise costs range from $2,160 for a one-week stay in a room on the main deck to $7,980 for a two-week cruise on the Carolina Deck, or third level.

For information check the Web site at americancruiselines.com.