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Maine's Rockland readies for its first cruise homeporting operation

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The Rockland breakwater (Photo courtesy of CruiseMaine USA)
The CruiseMaineUSA member port of Rockland returns to its seafaring past of providing homeport services to passenger vessels with Friday’s inaugural embarkation of Blount Small Ship Adventures' US-flag Grande Caribe.

It will be Rockland's first cruise homeport operation.

The 83-passenger, shallow draft exploration ship familiar to Maine and Canada will sail an 11-night itinerary from Rockland to Bar Harbor and Eastport, Maine, before crossing the International boundary line in Passamaquoddy Bay to visit a variety of niche ports in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia before returning to Saint John, New Brunswick, on Aug. 9 to disembark passengers. 

Grande Caribe will embark new passengers at Saint John and sail a reverse itinerary ending in Rockland on Aug. 22.

'We have great respect for the Blount family. Their ties to Maine run long and deep. Not only have they been cruising the coast of Maine for 45 years, but they have also built most of the passenger and car ferries in the state of Maine at their Rhode Island shipyard,' CruiseMaineUSA director Amy Powers said.

Watching Blount innovate Grande Caribe’s itinerary to include Rockland as a starting point is 'inspiring and refreshing,' Powers added. 'This is also a testament to the workhorse capability of Rockland’s waterfront and the local attractions as it relates to the cruising community.'

'The coast of Maine has always been a favorite cruise location for the Blount family and a personal favorite of mine,' Nancy Blount said.

'Witnessing the renaissance of Rockland as a passenger ship starting point reinforces our work as a multidisciplined vacation destination,' according to Tom Peaco, executive director of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce. 'Our desire is to wholly accommodate the needs of all of our visitors, whether they are arriving by land or sea.'

Peaco said the Chamber looks forward to working with Blount Small Ship Adventures and Journey’s End Marina to insure this is a successful partnership.