Portland Maine USA Cruise Port Guide

Location:

All of the larger cruise ships that visit Portland dock at The Maine State Pier (Portland Ocean Terminal) or the Ocean Gateway Terminal.

The new facility, Ocean Gateway Cruise Terminal, is located just steps away from Portland's dynamic downtown and within walking distance to the Old Port shopping district and uptown Historic and Art's districts.

Both terminals are only a few blocks apart.

Cruise calendar for this port.

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Port Location on Google Maps

Monthly Climate Averages for Portland Maine USA

Sightseeing:

Portland is an old seacoast town. It is also a funky city filled with galleries, one-of-kind boutiques and shops, and incredible restaurants serving everything from New England clam chowder, lobster rolls and Maine seafood to nouvelle cuisine.

Portland is located on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the Southern Maine coast approximately 100 miles (161 km) north of Boston, Massachusetts. It has more than 65,000 inhabitants making it the largest city in Maine. Portland is a small seaside city with a high concentration of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, tours and many things to see and do. Many people commute to Portland to work, and the city's population significantly increases in the summertime.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

The Old Port and Downtown Arts District areas are very walkable and pedestrian friendly.

Take a 90-minute narrated trolley tour, passing many popular attractions (adults $12, kids $6). Tickets can be purchased at the visitor info kiosk by the cruise terminal (14 Ocean Gateway Pier).

Lobstering excursions from Memorial Day weekend in May until Columbus Day weekend in October departing from Long Wharf.

It pays to compare your cruise line shore excursions here.

Nearby Places:

This one port offers four dynamic destinations. In addition to historic Portland, 30 minutes south of Portland, passengers will enjoy Kennebunkport, a quintessential Maine village and summer home to two US presidents. Freeport with its factory outlets and boutiques is home to the world famous outdoor outfitter LL Bean and is just 20 minutes north of Portland. New Hampshire is home of the White Mountain National Forest & the Mount Washington Cog Railway - a unique and unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

The LL Bean Outlet in Portland, Maine on Congress Street has closed on September 2010. The Freeport store is usual business.

Shopping and Food

The Old Port is nestled against the busy port and home to 19th century streets filled with boutiques, galleries, restaurants, bars and coffee shops. The district sells everything from one-of-a-kind jewelry and designer jeans to best-selling books and surf boards.

Currency:

The official U.S. currency is the United States dollar (symbol: $). ATM's everywhere.

Major credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are widely used and accepted, even for transactions worth only a few dollars. In fact, in some cases, it may be the only way to make a transaction. Note to overseas visitors: Prices of goods and services always seem lower than they really are, as taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Most states have a sales tax, ranging from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price; 4-6% is typical. Sales tax is almost never included in posted prices (except for gasoline, and in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises), but instead will be calculated and added to the total when you pay.

Tipping in America is widely used and expected. While Americans themselves often debate correct levels and exactly who deserves to be tipped, generally accepted standard rates are:

Full-service restaurants: 15-20% (Often this is the only income of the wait(ress). Tips are either left in cash or you can add it to the credit card slip) Note: Few restaurants add an automatic service charge, in which case it is up to you how much you tip extra. Check your bill!
Taxi drivers, hairdressers, other personal services: 10-15%
Bartenders: $1 per drink if inexpensive or 15% of total
Bellhops: $1-2 per bag ($3-5 minimum regardless)
Hotel doorman: $1 per bag (if they assist), $1 for calling a cab
Shuttle bus drivers: $2-5 (optional)
Private car & limousine drivers: 15-20%
Housekeeping in hotels: $1-2 per day for long stays or $5 minimum for very short stays (optional)
Food delivery (pizza, etc.): $2-5, possibly more for very large orders

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Communication:

The U.S. has no official language at the federal level, but English is by far the standard for everyday use. Several states have declared their official state language as English. Spanish is also official in the state of New Mexico, where it is widely spoken; French is official in Louisiana and the Hawaiian language is official in Hawaii, but neither approaches the use of English and are official for primarily historical reasons.

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Opening Hours and Holidays:

In major metropolitan areas like New York and Los Angeles, many drugstores and supermarkets are routinely open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, while department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers are typically open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and often with shorter hours on Sundays - generally 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. On holidays, the tendency is to remain open (with the exception of the most important holidays like Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day where stores are generally closed)

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