A cruise ship will drop anchor in Portsmouth’s harbor this summer for the first time since 1998. American Cruise Lines, a small-ship cruise company headquartered in Guilford, Connecticut, is making four stops in Portsmouth from July through October. “We use the phrase ‘coastal cruiser’ as opposed to ‘cruise ship,’ because when you hear ‘cruise ship,’ you think of these big monster vessels, and it’s really impossible for them to come in here to Portsmouth,” said Assistant City Manager for Economic & Community Development Sean Clancy.
American Cruise Line’s American Glory ship, a 100-passenger luxury vessel, is the first cruise line to dock in Portsmouth since Blount Small Ship Adventures in 1998, according to Tom Maciel, operations manager for the New Hampshire Port Authority. While the idea of a cruise line coming to Portsmouth initially raised some eyebrows, people settled their apprehensions once they understood that these were not commercial-sized ships, he said. “There was some initial concern — obviously, people worry about the size of vessels,” Maciel said.
“But these are obviously nothing big.” The vessels are scheduled to make 24-hour stops in Portsmouth on July 8, July 22, Aug. 19 and Oct.
7, docking at the New Hampshire Port Authority, half a mile from the city’s Market Square. Passengers will be shuttled from the dock into downtown Portsmouth to spend their time touring and shopping through the area. Portsmouth is one of the ports .
