Friday October 11th. We just debarked from the cruise ship and were off the ship at 7:30 this am. Yesterday our port stop was Portland, Maine. Because Portland was our first stop back in the U.S., we were required to go through immigration after arrival. The ship arrived at 10:30 am, but the immigration process did not start until 11:45 and we had to wait until our group number was called.
We exited the ship at 12:45 and completed the immigration process. We were then able to go ashore. We had booked a private exursion yesterday through Airbnb experiences. I have done these excursions in a few cities now. We did a private boat tour with Bird’s eye Maine and chartered a small power boat to view the coast of Maine and Casco bay. The experience allowed for up to 6 passengers. We met another couple on the ship that had planned to come with us, but unfortunately their immigration time was too late in the day so it was just my husband and I and Matthew who owned the boat.
The boat was located in the in the Fore points which was a short walk from the cruise terminal in Portland. We turned right and it was a short 10 minute walk along the eastern promenade walking path.
We enjoyed the 2 hours with beautiful views of coastal Maine. The first lighthouse was at Bug light park also known as the Portland Breakwater light. The park allows for viewing the lighthouse up close or you can also do this from the water.
The next lighthouse was named Spring Point ledge light. It kind of resembles a giant spark plug.
The most iconic lighthouse in Portland is known as the Portland Headlight in Cape Elizabeth. It is a popular shore exursion and tourist attraction and is adjacent to a a 90 acre park called Fort Williams park that offers great ocean views, walking paths, and gardens. We have seen this lighthouse before from the cruise ship, but were able to get much closer into the harbor area with the small boat. It is a really beautiful lighthouse and one of my favorites of the trip.
We also learned a lot about the islands in Casco bay and sailed around Peak’s island. Peak’s island is only a 20 minute ferry ride from Portland and offers the opportunity to walk, bike, or rent a golf cart to drive around the island. It also has a lot of airbnb locations and is officially considered a part of Portland. There are many private beaches and 2 public beaches for visitors to explore on the Island.
Next we sailed around another island called Diamond island and around Diamond cove.
After the boat trip, we decided to go ahead and re-board the ship and get a head start on packing to travel home. Dinner was in the main dining room for our final night. Greg and I both ordered prime rib for dinner and I got the chef’s salad as an appetizer. The chef’s special was butter chicken. Our waiter brought us that dish to try for the table.
We also were lucky to get a glimpse at the Northern lights last night and took a few photos just before bed.
All in all we have had a great vacation and our now ready to travel home. Our next adventure is the week of Thanksgiving only a short ways away!