Paddling Party

Kayakers paddling around the old pilings off of the Eastern Waterfront.

Sea Song

The impressively large "Anthem of the Seas" docked at Ocean Gateway last weekend.

Anthem of the Seas

I was among the crowds admiring the enormous "Anthem of the Seas" cruise ship on its most recent visit to town. The ship is 1,139 feet long and has more decks (18) than the tallest building in Portland has floors (Franklin Towers has 16 floors).

Cruise Ship Season

The season of cruise ships is upon us. According to knowledgeable sources, this year Portland will host "77 cruise ship visits with more than 106,000 passengers." The majority of ships visit in September and October.

New Mayor

A few shots from last night's inaugural event for Mayor Ethan Strimling at Ocean Gateway. 

Big Boat, Little City

The MS Liberty of the Seas, one of the larger ships to visit us, docked at Ocean Gateway last weekend.

Wolves of Portland

If you are down by the Ocean Gateway terminal you may notice some unique new public art. The temporary art piece titled "UNPACK" is by Andy Rosen and it will be up until November. The public unveiling happens on August 8th at 3pm.

View from the Nova Star

A rainy Sunday morning from atop the Nova Star ferry. Regular service between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine resumes this week. 

The Sun & Tide

Taken on another cold morning a few weeks ago, in the park next  to the Ocean Gateway terminal (known as Moon Tide Garden/Park I believe)

O.G. Portland

Looking west from the Ocean Gateway terminal, towards Commercial Street:

Modern Day Explorer

The Explorer of the Seas, one of the cruise ships in town today, pictured at Ocean Gateway. Some of the tourists on board might have been disappointed by the afternoon weather, but I think Portland tends to be rather photogenic with some cloud cover and passing showers. 

Ocean Gateway Moon

The moon breaking through some clouds last week over Ocean Gateway:

Portland House View

A view of the Eastern Waterfront and Ocean Gateway terminal from the very top of the "Portland House" condos at 45 Eastern Promenade. I've always wanted to see the view from up here and it's everything I hoped for.  I'll post more shots from up here throughout the week. 

Nova Star View

I took advantage of the free tours of the new Nova Star cruise ship earlier today. The tours were limited to one deck, but it was still neat to get a unique view of the surrounding area and to see all the amenities onboard. Here is a view from one of the dining rooms:

And from the entry to the vessel I got a nice view of the French ship "Fulmar" that is currently visiting us:

Portland to Yarmouth Nova Star Ferry

Today's photos feature the newly arrived Nova Star cruise ship that will start sailing between Portland (from the Ocean Gateway terminal) and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in May. Looks like a fine vessel. 

Have a Seat

The interestingly vintage seating in front of the Ocean Gateway terminal:

Today's post is brought to you by the 2014 Portland, Maine calendar, available here for just $20.

Autumn on the Harbor

An autumn view of the Ocean Gateway terminal with a cruise ship docked at the Maine State Pier. This photo was taken last weekend during the annual Harvest on the Harbor event. 

Yacht of the Rising Sun

A view of the "Rising Sun," a boat that was recently docked at Ocean Gateway.  What makes it particularly remarkable/photographable is that it is the "10th largest yacht in the world" and  belongs to billionaire David Geffen. You can read more about this five-story, 82-room ship over here. 

Anchored

A decorative anchor in front of Portland's Ocean Gateway complex:

After the Sunset

A view of the Ocean Gateway terminal and the remains of an old pier.