Bangor City Council OKs cruise-ship contract

BANGOR – The Roxy Leigh cruise ship will shuttle passengers up and down the Penobscot River nearly every weekend this summer, after city councilors approved a contract Tuesday to allow Mid-Coast Cruises of Winterport to operate out of Bangor.

The company will offer three-hour day and evening cruises June 5 through Oct. 24, picking up passengers behind the Sea Dog restaurant, which will sell tickets and provide catering for the trips, according to Ed Badershall, office manager for Mid-Coast Cruises. The company offered cruises out of Bucksport last year and hopes to attract more customers by docking in Bangor, Badershall said.

“I think we’ll have a lot more profitable season here in Bangor than we did down in Bucksport,” he said Tuesday.

The new cruise operator will share city dock 2 with American Cruise Lines, a Connecticut-based company that last summer included Bangor as a homeport for its ship, the American Glory.

Mid-Coast Cruises will pay $600 a year to dock its 65-foot ship, which can transport nearly 150 passengers at a time for chartered events and public cruises. A Friday night cruise will be added to the schedule if interest is high, Badershall said.

The company hopes to share dock space with the American Glory during the 66th National Folk Festival on Bangor’s waterfront Aug. 27-29, although the Coast Guard and Maine Maritime Academy already have plans to have boats in the water, City Engineer Jim Ring said.

“I’d love to see the Roxy highlighted at the Folk Festival because it’s an opportunity to get it in front of a lot of people,” Councilor David Nealley said.

The ship travels at 6 to 7 knots, but its slow speed will allow passengers a nice view of the Penobscot’s banks, Ring said.

“That’ll give people a good look at different portions of the river,” he said.

Cruises will be offered 1-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For information, call 223-4781.