BDN
A huge cruise ship dwarfs Spring Point Ledge Light as it enters Portland Harbor in September 2019. Large, lucrative cruise ships are not expected to return to Maine this year.
PORTLAND, Maine State officials have given small, domestic cruise ships permission to return to Maine this summer. But huge, multi-thousand passenger vessels and the megabucks they bring the state in tourist spending and docking fees aren’t coming back anytime soon.
Exact numbers are hard to come by, but state and local officials estimate Maine lost more than $30 million in docking fees and on-shore tourist spending in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic canceled the entire season.
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Our Christmas season this year was one of virtual events and Zoom gatherings. There were a few live events where people could safely gather to enjoy the spirit of the season. Your newspapers were informed of one such gathering.
With all the passengers wearing masks, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum operated the Holiday Express with a steam locomotive and 10-car train to take guests from Portland’s Ocean Gateway Terminal to the North Pole for a safely distanced visit with Santa. These trains operated three times a week starting the day after Thanksgiving right up to Dec. 23.