Eastport Will Say Goodbye To The Cruise Ship Riviera This Weekend

For a month and a half the Oceania Riviera has been tied up to the dock in Eastport with 131 crew members aboard who never set foot within the small port city.  Apparently, it's now time to go home.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began it caused the cruise industry to come to a screaming halt. Big ships like the Riviera had to be stored somewhere, and with deep water right there by the dock Eastport was a prime host.

The crew needs to be switched with another, and we hear with all the CDC rules and regulations here in the United States that it's actually easier to motor across the Atlantic to Europe in order to do so. So the ship will leave Eastport sometime this coming weekend.

As it stands right now, the CDC has banned the cruise industry from carrying paid passengers until the end of September.  So, will the Riviera return to Eastport?  At this point no one seems to know.

But, Eastport made out pretty well by bringing in $70,000 in docking fees since June 14th.

We traveled downeast to Eastport about a month ago to see the Riviera in person and of course to eat a lobster roll at Quoddy Bay Lobster and a couple of hot dogs at Rosie's Hot Dog stand.

What impresses you first is driving down the hill into the very small city and seeing the smokestacks towering 106 feet above the water and above all the homes.  Compared to it's surroundings, the ship was massive, but yet very quiet.  The locals didn't seem to mind it being there and a few tourists strolled the side walk that runs the length of the waterfront stopping every now and then to take pictures.

So did we.