Cruise ship firm cancels Eastport, Bar Harbor visits

The cruise ship Spirit of Oceanus that was scheduled to stop in Eastport for the afternoon and evening of September 23 will not be visiting after all. According to CruiseMaineUSA Director Amy Powers, "We have just learned that Cruise West has just been sold to an unnamed company, and they have opted to cancel the itinerary featuring their upcoming visits to Eastport and Bar Harbor on September 23 and September 24 respectively."
Captain Shawn Moody of the Portland‑based Chase Leavitt & Co. Inc. confirms the cancellation. "I've been told by the general agent to go ahead and cancel the Eastport and Bar Harbor calls." Moody's company assists and acts as a liaison between cruise ship owners and ports to coordinate visits. The captain notes that cancellations of calls to ports occur for many reasons and are not unexpected, but that this does not diminish the level of disappointment sure to be felt in Eastport. He adds, "There's been a lot of work behind the scenes by the Eastport folks... It's been one to two years in the making."
Powers says, "The community of Eastport worked very hard to create a unique experience for the passengers who were scheduled to visit, and there really is a huge sense of loss and disappointment over this cancellation."
The Spirit of Oceanus was one of the larger ships in the fleet belonging to Cruise West, with a capacity of about 120 passengers. Eastport was to be the second stop for a 13‑night Atlantic coast cruise between Halifax, N.S., and Florida.
Linda Godfrey, a 17‑year veteran of hosting retreats and seminars, had been appointed shore planner for the Eastport excursion. "This is shocking and certainly disappointing news for the many, many people and businesses who worked together on the Spirit of Oceanus stop in Eastport."
Port authority board member Jett Peterson has been working to bring small cruise ships to Eastport for a number of years. "I'm extremely disappointed, but it does not dampen my enthusiasm and efforts. We'll make it happen... I'm totally convinced that once we get someone here, they will come back." She explains that Cruise West in particular had seemed a very good match in cruise ship size and in their interest in the area.
The Cruise Eastport Committee, comprised of Jett Peterson, Tessa Ftorek, John Miller, Chris Gardner, Chris Brown and Meg McGarvey, had worked diligently to bring the cruise ship to Eastport. Godfrey explains that passengers aboard the Spirit of Oceanus were enjoying a "Voyages of the Great Explorers" program, and the Eastport welcome committee had arranged many vignettes, beginning at the breakwater and ending at Bank Square, representing the history of Washington County, Maine, and Charlotte County, New Brunswick.
The goal was to give the passengers "a sampler of the uniqueness of this area," says Godfrey. "They were very interested in gaining knowledge about the First People." Vera Francis and Rolfe Richter had planned to tell Passamaquoddy stories.
"Lubec, Machias, Campobello, Calais and Eastport have demonstrations to be shared," Godfrey says. She is positive that the hard work already expended by these communities will be rewarded in the future. Many different groups were planning to make presentations based on their areas of interest and expertise, including information on St. Croix Island's first explorers and rusticators of the Victorian era at Campobello. Passengers would have learned about West Quoddy Lighthouse, the area's alternative energy developments and the fisheries. The Border Historical Society would have given passengers a local perspective on the War of 1812 and the Passamaquoddy Tidal Project. Trescott's Cobscook Community Learning Center was to be a sponsor for a presentation entitled "Creatures Great and Small."
The St. Croix Valley Chamber of Commerce was going to supply four of the vignettes, adds Godfrey. Among those were Mingo's and the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge.
"This is too bad for everyone who put a lot of work into it," comments Captain Robert Peacock, also Eastport's city council president.
Godfrey says, "We look at the small cruise ships as a major economic advantage to Eastport and the area. We hope that small cruise ships will visit." Of the work already done by all the different communities and volunteers she says, "We thank them for their work." The added advantage to all that effort, she notes, is that much of the prep work has been done, and the presentations will be ready for any cruise ship that comes to call in the future.