The Riviera may be coming to Eastport! No, not the French Riviera, not the Italian Riviera, not even the North End Riviera -- the old tuna-packing plant in Eastport. No, the dormant cruise ship Riviera -- larger than The World, which came to Eastport in 2012 -- may be tied up to the Eastport breakwater for perhaps much of the summer. The 785-foot cruise ship could arrive next week.
     The arrival, though, has caused some fear among a number of residents about the possible spread of the coronavirus, along with concerns about loss of access to the breakwater. A special city council meeting to discuss the ship's arrival was held on Thursday, May 7, via Zoom, and another meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, May 12. A letter indicating support by the council of the cruise ship's stay has been requested by Governor Mills' administration, after the concerns were raised.
     Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority, is trying to allay those concerns, noting that Eastport is one of only three ports in Maine with a 105-rating by the U.S. Coast Guard for its security plan, which allows it to berth vessels of this type. For the vessel to be berthed in Eastport, federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection requirements had to be met, "up to and including quarantine time frames."
     Gardner says that "there may be no more regulated industry than the cruise industry," for the coronavirus restrictions. CDC guidelines for cruise ships "are quite extensive." He also notes that the city manager and city council president, along with others, have been kept "in the loop" during discussions about having the ship tied up at the breakwater.
     "We recognize people's concerns and worries," he says. But he adds that the tying up of the ship in Eastport has been well coordinated with the CDC and other federal agencies. "We only do it out of necessity," he says. "In times like this you need to be creative."
     The CDC has reported that at least one person who tested positive for COVID-19 was symptomatic while on board the cruise ship earlier this year. The chief medical officer aboard the ship states there was a passenger who tested positive for the virus after disembarking back in March. According to Gardner, the officer reports that the vessel is "a perfectly clean ship right now, with zero cases as of today." The vessel has been anchored off Miami, without any passengers, for more than a month, Gardner says.
     Most of the 138 crew members, who are from a number of different countries, will be leaving in a controlled manner by private transportation to return to their homes after the cruise ship arrives. Those remaining on the vessel, which Gardner believes may be 34, will be under a "no leave" order, he says. "Nobody will be getting off." Among those remaining on the vessel will be the medical staff of a doctor and two nurses.
     With the CDC having issued a "no sail" order for cruise ships, the industry has had to find places to tie up vessels because the system is designed for the vessels to be at sea. He compares the situation to just after 9/11, when locations had to be found to park planes for an industry designed to have most planes flying in the air. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which owns the Riviera, has sought to reduce its costs by transitioning its fleet into cold layup. The company recently warned that it may need to reorganize, possibly through bankruptcy, because of the coronavirus crisis, which has created significant doubt about the company's viability.
     As for why the vessel does not simply remain anchored, Gardner says that the owners want such ships to be tied up, since it's more secure. "The ship is more stable tied to a pier." He also notes that requiring a crew to stay at sea for a number of months "probably is quite the task."
     Concerning why the ship's owners, Oceania Cruises, which is a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line, decided on Eastport, Gardner says, "Not many other ports have the depth, length, strength and size" of either the breakwater or the Estes Head pier. The Riviera has a draft of 25 feet, with the depth at the breakwater at mean lower low water being at least 37 feet. Gardner says the port authority decided to use the breakwater instead of the cargo pier because "we're trying not to interrupt cargo operations, which are still ongoing."
     As for pollution and noise generated by the cruise ship, Gardner says they will be no more than any other cruise ship or a Navy ship. The ship will be using only its generators for electricity on board and not running its engines.
     While mackerel fishermen like to use the breakwater, Gardner says the fish pier will be available, along with possibly the pier behind the WaCo Diner. He notes, though, that much is up in the air about whether summer visitors will be coming to the state.
     Gardner says that there will be restricted access to the top deck of the breakwater initially, but the port authority will "work to keep as much open as possible during the summer." Boat owners will still be able to access the floats in the inner basin and the north side crane. Also, the north side floats will be accessible for use by recreational boaters.
     As for how long the cruise ship will be berthed at the breakwater, Gardner says, "We're currently taking it one month at a time. I anticipate into June and perhaps longer. Subject to conditions, it's possible it could be all summer. We've made it available to them through the summer months."
     The berthing of the cruise ship will help the port authority's bottom line, as its standard rate is $2 per foot per day, or nearly $50,000 a month. "It will help fill holes in the budget with the global slowdown," he says, noting that revenue from shipping is down at least 40% so far this year. Also, with the federal government having invested $6 million, the state $8 million and the port authority $3 million for the rebuilding of the breakwater, all of them "will be getting a bit of a return on their investments." He says all of the revenue will go towards the port authority's debt service on its loan for the breakwater repair work.
     "We're very happy to assist Oceania Cruises with this, as they're just the type of cruise lines we'd like to see in the future," Gardner says. "This is a unique opportunity in a very unique time that will help the port authority maintain its strength."
     The cruise ship tie-up may also help some other local businesses, with Gardner noting that the port authority has supplied the ship with the names of local vendors, like the R&M, that can help meet their needs. "We will do out best to utilize local vendors at all times to bring a positive input to the community."
     While the ship might draw some visitors to the island city, Gardner stresses that the decision to bring the empty ship to Eastport "is not a tourism issue, it's a maritime issue."