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Excursion info Portland Maine


edgekid
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We have booked tours in Boston and Bar Harbor, Maine..Looking for any recommendations for Portland, Maine  land excursion not from cruise ship.. We're traveling on the June 5th Summit cruise.. Thanks.

 

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 We have been to Portland several times both on cruise port stops but also on land trips.  While not discussed much on CC forums Portland has a great art museum.  But our FAVORITE activity in Portland is the Casco Bay Ferries mail run.  It is a hoot.  Just google  Casco Bay Ferries for the details and look for the mail run schedule.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, edgekid said:

We have booked tours in Boston and Bar Harbor, Maine..Looking for any recommendations for Portland, Maine  land excursion not from cruise ship.. We're traveling on the June 5th Summit cruise.. Thanks.

 

 

Since you specifically are not looking for a Celebrity tour, it would be appropriate to post your question in the Canada/New England forum, and also do a search for "Portland" there:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/9-canadanew-england/

 

Enjoy your cruise!

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Sometimes excursions aren’t necessary.  Take a look at what Portland has to offer and wing it.  There are great restaurants neat the pier.  Someone else mentioned the museum, you may just enjoy seeing Portland on your own.  It’s a great little city.

Edited by Oville
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Virtually everything of interest is within a mile of the pier, so Portland is a walking town (if you don't mind hills and cobblestones).  Eastern Prom park is a nice walk, with views down the Bay.  Brewery tours.  Mailboat run.  Schooner sails in Casco Bay.  Portland Observatory.  Art Museum.  Longfellow Museum.  Victorian Mansion.  Excellent food, Portland is consistently rated as a top foodie destination.  Lobster boat tours.

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2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Virtually everything of interest is within a mile of the pier, so Portland is a walking town (if you don't mind hills and cobblestones).  Eastern Prom park is a nice walk, with views down the Bay.  Brewery tours.  Mailboat run.  Schooner sails in Casco Bay.  Portland Observatory.  Art Museum.  Longfellow Museum.  Victorian Mansion.  Excellent food, Portland is consistently rated as a top foodie destination.  Lobster boat tours.

 

8 hours ago, Oville said:

Sometimes excursions aren’t necessary.  Take a look at what Portland has to offer and wing it.  There are great restaurants neat the pier.  Someone else mentioned the museum, you may just enjoy seeing Portland on your own.  It’s a great little city.

Appreciate the response ..we're probably going to wind up walking and exploring.

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3 hours ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

A couple of replies mentioned good seafood restaurants and museums.  How close are these to the pier or do you need a cab?

Any favorite restaurants from previous visits?

Living in Portland, the following restaurants are right on the waterfront, a few blocks from the pier.  I don't recall which do lunch, since dinners on a cruise port call are problematic in many cases.  Eventide, Street & Co, Boone's Fish House, Gilbert's Chowder House for chowder.

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4 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Living in Portland, the following restaurants are right on the waterfront, a few blocks from the pier.  I don't recall which do lunch, since dinners on a cruise port call are problematic in many cases.  Eventide, Street & Co, Boone's Fish House, Gilbert's Chowder House for chowder.

We are renting a car and want to drive to Twin Lights Lobster Shack at Cape Elizabeth.

i was there 5 years ago and hope it is still the same 

 

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1 hour ago, Jiffymom said:

We are renting a car and want to drive to Twin Lights Lobster Shack at Cape Elizabeth.

i was there 5 years ago and hope it is still the same 

 

Two Lights is fine, nice view, but the prices are high, about the same as a waterfront sit down in town. You're paying a lot for seagulls to steal your fries.

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6 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Living in Portland, the following restaurants are right on the waterfront, a few blocks from the pier.  I don't recall which do lunch, since dinners on a cruise port call are problematic in many cases.  Eventide, Street & Co, Boone's Fish House, Gilbert's Chowder House for chowder.

Thank you for your helpful reply.  We have been to several places in ME during our few years in Boston, but never went to Portland and appreciate your help.  During those younger days we drove up the coast all the way to Prince Edward Island and then back, camping at Cobscook Bay State Park, right near Campobello Island.  We learned about coastal fog first hand being tent campers back then

Is the CASCO ferry within easy walking distance since the mail run seems like an interesting way to start the day and see a lot of the real life in Maine

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1 hour ago, OBX-Cruisers said:

Thank you for your helpful reply.  We have been to several places in ME during our few years in Boston, but never went to Portland and appreciate your help.  During those younger days we drove up the coast all the way to Prince Edward Island and then back, camping at Cobscook Bay State Park, right near Campobello Island.  We learned about coastal fog first hand being tent campers back then

Is the CASCO ferry within easy walking distance since the mail run seems like an interesting way to start the day and see a lot of the real life in Maine

If you walk out the gate of the Ocean Gateway cruise terminal, and take a left, you will be at the Maine State Pier, where the Casco Bay ferry docks.  Walk right up and buy some tickets.  The mailboat run leaves at 10:15 if I remember right (there is an afternoon run as well, but that might get delayed due to cargo, and you don't want to miss your ship).

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16 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Two Lights is fine, nice view, but the prices are high, about the same as a waterfront sit down in town. You're paying a lot for seagulls to steal your fries.

Well you’ve given me something to think about. We are traveling with friends and I keep telling them about the beautiful views. So guess as time gets closer I will make my decision. The weather will determine. 

Love the Maine coastal views 

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1 hour ago, Jiffymom said:

Well you’ve given me something to think about. We are traveling with friends and I keep telling them about the beautiful views. So guess as time gets closer I will make my decision. The weather will determine. 

Love the Maine coastal views 

I think you could do better with lobster from either Portland Lobster or Becky's Diner along the wharf, and then walk past the ship to the greenway walk to Eastern Prom Park, where you get better views down Casco Bay than from Two Lights (Fort Gorges and the "calendar islands", so named because there are supposedly 365 of them).  Also try the Portland Observatory (tower where they watched for sailing ships to come in) for real views down the Bay.

 

As I tell most on CC who ask, don't go to Portland Head Light and get the pictures everyone in the world gets, get up 45 minutes before arrival in Portland, go on the upper decks, and catch the Head Light as you sail close by on the way into the harbor, getting a unique perspective of the light from the sea.

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On 5/27/2019 at 8:51 PM, edgekid said:

We have booked tours in Boston and Bar Harbor, Maine..Looking for any recommendations for Portland, Maine  land excursion not from cruise ship.. We're traveling on the June 5th Summit cruise.. Thanks.

 

My mom and I are doing the Portland Fire Engine Company tour on a vintage fire truck.  If you check their website, they may have a tour that picks you up at the dock where your ship will be.  It will be the first tour of the day, but that then frees you up to do something else if you want.  We are also doing a cruise of the lighthouses through Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours.  Between the 2 tours, we'll be done with our excursions by 12:45pm which gives us time to have a leisurely late lunch and do some shopping before heading back to the ship.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎5‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 3:55 PM, Jiffymom said:

We are renting a car and want to drive to Twin Lights Lobster Shack at Cape Elizabeth.

i was there 5 years ago and hope it is still the same 

 

Howdy Jiffymom,

 

From where are you renting a car in Portland?  We might want to do our own sightseeing tour.

 

Thanks

ddaz

GBY

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Enterprise on Marginal way, they pick you up near ship.

but we changed our mind. It’s a short day so we booked 

Portland explorer. It’s two  hour tour to see three light houses than we will go find a lobster lunch and spend time in town .

I do wish we had more time in Portland.

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22 hours ago, Jiffymom said:

Enterprise on Marginal way, they pick you up near ship.

 

Thanks Jiffymom,

 

We decided to rent a car.  It will allow us to drive out to Land's End out at the end of Bailey's Island and a couple of other places which we like to visit during our time around Portland.  Appreciate your assistance!

 

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