Massive Cruise Ships Will Visit Portland, Maine, 23 Out of 30 September Days

It become such a common occurrence that most locals don't even give it a second glance. That occurrence is massive cruise ships pulling up to the waterfront in Portland, Maine, while unloading thousands of passengers to explore the city.

According to CruiseMaine, 2023 was a banner year for visitors to the Pine Tree State via cruise ship. Nearly 500,000 people explored Maine through eight different ports during the 379 cruise ship visits to the state last year.

2024 is shaping up to be another strong year of cruise ship visits from Bar Harbor to Portland. Portland saw the humungous MSC Meraviglia dock over the weekend, as spotted by reporter Jon Chrisos.

Bar Harbor residents went to court to cap the amount of cruise ship traffic enters the town, and won their case. However, Portland remains fully open for business, and the city's September schedule is proof of it.

Shared in a Facebook Group by Zach Martins, the cruise ship schedule for Portland has a handful of visits in July and August. But September? The city will see at least one cruise ship visit on 23 of a possible 30 days. Some of those days will feature multiple cruise ships docked.

According to the Portland Press Herald, cruise ship companies have found success visiting Maine during September and October. The leaves have begun to change color, the summer tourism boom is dwindling, and the appeal for cruise passengers is heightened.

September in the Old Port is going to feel just like the busiest of summer days. Many of the cruise ships docking in Portland during that month will be carrying at least 3,000 passengers, with some exceeding 4,000.