PORTLAND, Maine — Due to high winds and heavy rains sweeping across the East Coast, Portland will receive wave-fairing travelers in an unusual off-season cruise ship visit.
The MSC Meraviglia will arrive in Portland on Wednesday because of storm conditions impacting its original seven-day itinerary of heading to the Bahamas from Brooklyn, New York, according to a news release from the City of Portland. The ship visited Portland twice during the regular season this year, but will return for a third visit.
The ship was reportedly set to depart from Brooklyn on Saturday, then head to Port Canaveral, Nassau and MSC's private island destination in the Bahamas, Ocean Cay. Instead, the ship departed from Brooklyn and traveled to Boston, where it will remain until the storm impacting the Northeast passes, according to the city.
Flooding and high winds are expected to impact Mainers through Monday evening, with power outage numbers continuing to climb.
The ship is set to arrive in Portland by 7 a.m. Wednesday, when 2,900 passengers will have the opportunity to explore the city. After, they will travel to Saint John, New Brunswick, and make the voyage back to Brooklyn on Saturday.
"In a letter addressed to guests, MSC stated, 'To ensure the safety and well-being of everyone onboard, we will sail to New England and Canada instead, where we expect to encounter fairer weather conditions that will allow us to offer the pleasant cruise experience that you expect,'" the city said.
