Eastport proved to be a winning suitor for the Enchanted Princess cruise ship, following a sun-kissed rendezvous of shop owners and residents with the guests from the Love Boat-themed cruise who filled the downtown on September 3. The largest cruise ship to visit Eastport, at 1,082 feet, with nearly 3,500 passengers and over 1,360 crew members, was anchored off the breakwater throughout the sparkling late summer's day. The number of people ashore at one time peaked at just over 2,500 at noon.
      Like the sun's rays, shop owners also beamed. One of them, Amy Ray of Bingville Style Shop, says she had "a really good day" with sales. "It was up there." While she had some apprehension about the number of people coming into the city, she feels the organizers did a good job of getting the guests off and on the ship without any trouble. "They seemed delighted with Eastport. It was all positive to me," she says of the visit. "It was nice to have people from all over the world. It was a diverse crowd." Another beaming shop owner, Kevin Raye, says, "It was a spectacular day for the Raye's Mustard Gift Shop. Sales were literally more than double our previous best ever sales day, which, by the way, was also a cruise ship day."
      Restaurants also did well, with some food trucks coming into town to relieve the congestion. Matt Boyle reports that the WaCo Diner served 293 guests between 10:30 and 2 p.m. with another 75 for breakfast and 83 more for a Tex-Mex dinner. During the "prime cruise guest hours," the WaCo team served 169 lobster rolls, 47 clam chowders and 91 draft beers, "plus all the other stuff folks consumed."
      Along with visiting the downtown, the passengers had the option of taking an organized tour on foot or via motor coach or charter boat. They included a trip to Campobello Island, a walking tour of Eastport and a lobster bake.
      During a reception held at the port authority building in the afternoon, with local dignitaries and members of the ship's crew attending, the ship's captain, Raffaele Di Martino, said, "You certainly made our crew and guests feel welcome today," as he thanked the city for its hospitality and partnership.
      John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises, stated that the visit was "absolutely fabulous." He noted, "We're about authentic interactions and friendship" and added, "For as long as you'll have us, we look forward to a partnership together."
      Padgett said that the cruise line "absolutely" will be returning to Eastport, because "the friendliness, the welcoming and the authenticity of the interactions with the guests and the community have been one of the best I've ever seen."
      He pointed out that hosting the visit required a great deal of effort on the part of the community, with the 3,600 guests tripling the size of the city, "and it was done completely naturally."
      Princess Cruises has 16 ships that are deployed globally, visiting 330 destinations, with Eastport among the smallest. Padgett says the most important factor that Princess Cruises seeks is "a great guest experience," and that "is what drove our decision to come to Eastport." He says the artisans, crafts people, shopkeepers and more made for "a remarkable day."
      Padgett later posted on LinkedIn, "Eastport is known as the easternmost city in the U.S., but it should be known as the most welcoming port city in the world. The enthusiastic welcome the Eastport community delivered to the Princess is beyond description."
      During the reception, Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority, thanked many for helping with the visit, which he noted was "a milestone for Eastport," because of the size of the ship and the number of passengers.
      "Today was a tremendous win for not only Eastport but the entire region," says Gardner. "The Eastport community has long included our neighbors at the Passamaquoddy Tribe to Campobello Island, New Brunswick and areas in between, and together we were able to yet again showcase all we have to offer. Our greatest asset has always been this community and the hospitality it extends to all visiting guests. That hospitality is what drives this tremendous economic boost with record days for many businesses, both now and hopefully into the future."
      "This was cruising at its best," says Sarah Flink, executive director of CruiseMaine. "Visitors who relished the opportunity to really connect with locals and learn about life in a small, coastal community and local businesses benefiting from the influx of visitors in the shoulder season. This kind of visit represents hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic benefit in just one day. Bravo to the community of Eastport for putting forth such a warm Maine welcome."
      There are six more cruise ship visits scheduled this fall, and the next one will be on Tuesday, September 17, by the 459-foot Roald Amundsen, with 530 guests. It will be at the breakwater from 12 noon to 8 p.m. Next year, 16 visits are currently scheduled.
      The Enchanted Princess visit was part of a round-trip seven-day cruise from New York City that celebrated "The Love Boat" television series, which is credited with bringing cruising to the masses and showcasing the romance of the sea. Two of the four stars of "The Love Boat" who were on the cruise ship, Fred Grandy, who played Burt "Gopher" Smith, and Ted Lange, who played Isaac Washington, were in attendance at the reception. Also on board the ship were Jill Whalen, who played Vicki Stubing, and Bernie Kopell, who played Dr. Adam Bricker.
      Before the Enchanted Princess sailed away across the waters, "The Love Boat" theme was played on the ship's horn, echoing over the city and the bay as the sun began to set on a memorable day.