American Cruise Lines to dock in Portsmouth, NH in 2024

PORTSMOUTH – American Cruise Lines has confirmed it will make four stops at the Market Street Terminal this summer and fall.

The cruise line's first stop at the Port of New Hampshire near downtown Portsmouth will be July 8, according to Myles Greenway, interim director of ports and piers for the Pease Development Authority.

This will be followed by stops in the popular tourist town on July 22, August 17 and October 2, according to a memo from Greenway to the PDA board.

“The ships are expected to be in port for 24 to 48 hours on each visit,” Greenway said.

American Cruise Lines, headquartered in Connecticut, operates 18 ships on numerous waterways across the country, including Puget Sound, the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean along the east coast from Maine to Florida.

The stops in Portsmouth are part of the major New England cruise that begins and ends in Boston and includes additional stops in Portland, Maine; Gloucester and Provincetown, Massachusetts; and Newport, Rhode Island, according to the company's website.

More visits to follow

Alexa Paolella, the company's PR manager, said: “American Cruise Lines is very excited to visit Portsmouth in 2024 with our small, American-built ships.”

Her ships carry “only 90 to 180 guests,” she said. “We look forward to more visits in the coming years.”

Eric Dussault, director of port operations for American Cruise Lines, previously stated that the company offers “small ship cruises.”

“When people hear about cruise ships, they get the impression that 4,000 people are being dumped into a downtown area,” he said. “That's not us. We really offer a boutique experience.”

For someone who has never cruised with American Cruise Lines, it was clear that the focus is on “customer service and attention to detail,” as he said.

“With only 100 guests on board, you really get to know the people,” he said.

Cruise ship stops bring tourists without cars to Portsmouth

Portsmouth Mayor Deaglan McEachern said on Thursday that efforts to bring cruise ships to Portsmouth have been “long-standing.”

“It’s exciting to see this actually coming to fruition,” McEachern said.

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He described the arrival of the American Cruise Line boats at the Market Street terminal as “a pretty big event for Portsmouth.”

He pointed out that Portsmouth is a “port city with a working port” and added: “We have a clipper ship as our mascot.”

“We definitely want to celebrate soon,” McEachern said.

He pointed out that despite all the historic city has to offer, “sometimes we don't realize how beautiful Portsmouth is when viewed from the river (Piscataqua).”

“This is something special and should be celebrated by our coastal community,” McEachern said.

In practice, the fact that people come to Portsmouth by boat to see the city means that “we will have tourists here who don't have cars,” he said. “So they won't take up parking spaces and that's a win for the city.”

While he acknowledged that “there are always concerns when something new happens,” he believes the size of American Cruise Lines' ships “seems to fit Portsmouth.”

“I think this will be a positive outcome for Portsmouth,” the mayor said.

Portsmouth delighted to participate

Ben VanCamp, president of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth, believes American Cruise Lines' visits “will be a pretty positive thing for our community.”

“American Cruise Lines is pretty picky” when it comes to adding new stops, VanCamp said.

“It's a compliment to our community that they chose us,” he said. “The other stops along the New England coast are all great destinations.”

At the same time, he explained that Portsmouth “constantly” hosts groups of people who come to the city for events or conferences.

“There are 100 people coming to town. We do that several times a week,” he said, adding: “We welcome them and are happy to have them here. There is a lot of interest from the business community.”

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VanCamp said he has been in touch with American Cruise Line representatives to suggest places guests could visit during their stay in Portsmouth.

“American Cruise Lines has been great to work with, communicating with us and the city,” VanCamp said.

The cruise line plans to transport its guests around the city in a “big bus,” he added, so Chamber of Commerce officials have been explaining to them how to avoid tight turns in some of Portsmouth's historic streets.

Cruise guests

American Cruise Lines guests come “from all over the country,” Dussault said in an earlier interview.

“Typically, our guests are people who are older but have traveled a lot throughout their lives,” he said. “Now they want to stay closer to home and travel domestically.”

“It is a mature, affluent clientele that comes on our cruises to enrich themselves and to be entertained,” said Dussault.

And they “enjoy coming to a place that has such a vibrant downtown with shops and restaurants of all kinds,” he said.

csibon

American Cruise Lines to dock in Portsmouth, NH in 2024

More visits to follow

Cruise ship stops bring tourists without cars to Portsmouth

Portsmouth delighted to participate

Cruise guests

Anna Harden

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More visits to follow

Cruise ship stops bring tourists without cars to Portsmouth

Portsmouth delighted to participate

Cruise guests

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Anna Harden

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