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Maine’s favorite resort community will roll out the royal carpet Monday to welcome the world’s newest and largest luxury liner, the Queen Mary 2.
And everyone is invited to the party.
Weighing 151,400 tons, the ship will anchor just 1,200 yards from the town pier and half that distance from the town’s popular Shore Path.
Billed by its owner, Cunard Line, as the biggest and best ship anywhere, the QM2 began its inaugural year in January when it set off from Southampton, England.
The $800 million vessel will return to Maine in mid-October when it visits Portland for a day.
“It will be close enough for a good view,” said harbor master Charlie Phippen, who expects a big crowd not only on land but in the harbor as perhaps hundreds of small vessels try to get a close look at the ship.
Phippen doesn’t expect any major problems with vessels being able to navigate through the harbor, even with the QM2 anchored close by.
The QM2 is to arrive about 8 a.m. Monday and stay in Bar Harbor until 6 p.m.
The Chamber of Commerce has arranged for a full day of music, from jazz to folk, throughout downtown. All of the town’s 50 restaurants will throw open their doors, and many will offer special QM2 menus.
A tour of 17 of the town’s historic properties will be a special treat for visitors, who rarely get a glimpse inside the majestic old buildings.
A cake the size of an office desk is being created by Tamu Christ of Brooksville, 16-year-old son of the new Chamber director, Costas Christ, who said his son has been baking cakes for years.
Baker’s Dozen of Sullivan is whipping up 1,600 cupcakes to be offered to passengers and visitors. The huge QM2 cake will be cut at 3 p.m. under a tent in Agamont Park.
The U.S. Postal Service is setting up a mobile commemorative stamp cancellation unit that will allow passengers and visitors to have a special souvenir from the day.
An antique car exhibit will be set up near the pedestrian mall on Cottage Street and will include seven to 10 rare vehicles, such as a 1911 Stanley Steamer and a 1932 Rolls-Royce.
Acadia National Park rangers will be dressed in French garb styled from the early 16th century, when French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed within site of Mount Desert Island.
The rangers will be scattered among the crowd and will give an oral history of the island and park.
The QM2’s predecessor, the Queen Elizabeth 2, visited Bar Harbor three times in the 1980s and each time thousands flocked to see the ship.
The QE2 still cruises, but has been sailing in the shadow of its bigger sibling all year, with the QM2 grabbing the global spotlight because of its amenities and luxurious features.
Costas Christ said Bar Harbor is a cruise ship destination because of its distinctive beauty, culture and history. He said the Chamber is “rolling out the red carpet in two directions” – to welcome the 2,600 passengers and 1,250 crew; and to welcome Maine people to the area.
“The celebration is as much about what makes Maine a great place to live – and what makes Bar Harbor a great place to live – as it is to welcome the passengers to our harbor,” Christ said.
“It’s like having a great guest to our home and inviting our friends and neighbors over to share the party,” he said.
Prime hotel rooms looking out onto the QM2 anchorage site already are booked for Sunday night, Christ said.
Bar Harbor is one of the smallest ports of call the QM2 will make anywhere in the world, according to Peter Cox, who designs cruises for Cunard. “It’s also a quality destination, and we feel we need to give a good balance between large cities and resort-type towns,” Cox said.
The U.S. Coast Guard will create a 300-yard safety zone around the ship for safety and security, according to a spokesman for Group Southwest Harbor.
Julie Davis, Cunard spokeswoman, said the ship has been zoned off for security and safety reasons since its first voyage last winter, after implementation of stricter international marine regulations in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
The Coast Guard will have a high-profile presence in the harbor all day, according to Group spokesman Ensign John Hanley, who recommends that mariners be respectful of the security zone, report suspicious activity to police and observe safe boating rules.
Boat owners will pay hefty fines if they breach the security zone, Hanley said.
All hands will be on deck Monday, as the Coast Guard, Phippen and the Maine Marine Patrol monitor and patrol the water, and police, fire and ambulance crews spread themselves around town to be in a better position to respond to emergencies.
“We feel ready,” Town Manager Dana Reed said Wednesday, after an all-day meeting with top staff to firm up plans. “We’re treating it like any other major festival” that draws thousands of extra visitors to town for a day.
Special satellite parking arrangements have been made to reduce the number of vehicles driving into the downtown. Parking will be free all day for those who drive into the village.
An estimated 30 tour buses, mostly from Cyr Bus Line, will cue up to take QM2 passengers for a tour of Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island.
Fewer than half the passengers likely will take a bus tour, Christ said.
For information on the QM2 festivities, call the Bar Harbor Chamber at 288-5103 or toll free at 1-888-540-9990.
The chamber’s Web site is www.BarHarborMaine.com.
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