New London CT. New port of call

[frank926]

Rumors are floating around New London, CT that a couple cruise lines are looking into useing this port as a port of call . Has anybody heard anything about this?

 

The world is like a book if you do not travel you only read one page.

St Augustine

[ruvidu]

I have not heard this but I would love to visit there again. I was stationed there with the USN in the 60s. There is a big sub base plus the Coast Guard Acadamy is on the other side of the river.

Wonder people in the 60s. I bet they have not changed.

 

SC Traveler

Until our Alaska Land/Sea Tour & Cruise

[kitty1]

The HAL Maasdam is there today. I live 18 miles away, and worked in NL for 5 years. There really isn't much to do that's within walking distance of the pier. The downtown area is not really that nice, although they have cleaned it up over the past few years.

 

Mystic is not just a few exits down I-95. The world's largest casino is also near by. The 2 Indian casinos are among the largest in the world, and have lots of entertainment, shows, shops, restaurants, and of course gambling. They are 15 and 20 mins away.

 

The sub base is near by, but it's been off limits to the public since 9/11. You might catch a glance of a submarine coming home. There is also one being built at Electric Boat directly across the river from the pier. The USS Jimmy Carter is sitting in the river while it's being built.

 

The Coast Guard Academy is near by, but again access is limited since 9/11.

 

Not really much to do in NL. The water is too cold to go to the beach. The ocean stays in the 60s until August. The ocean temp is probably only in the low 50s now.

[captbill]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kitty1:

The sub base is near by, but it's been off limits to the public since 9/11.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

The Base is restricted, but the Sub Museum and USS Nautilus are open to the public again.

www.ussnautilus.org/

 

Happy cruising!

 

Bill

 

 

Coming Attractions:

 

8/23/04 Royal Princess, 12 Day British Isles/Western Europe

 

3/6/05 Legend of the Seas, 11 day Ensenada to Honolulu

 

3/17/05 Legend of the Seas, 10 day Honolulu to Ensenada

[shmabbies]

I think Kitty1 meant to say that Mystic IS just a few exits down I-95. Mystic is home to Mystic Seaport, 40 acres of original buildings, ships, gardens, a true indoor & outdoor museum of maritime history, with changing exhibits & activities to participate in. There is also Mystic Aquarium nearby & right next to the aquarium is Mystic Village for shopping (all three are within a few miles of each other). I think New London is a wonderful cruise port!

[kitty1]

YEs I meant Mystic is close by. I'm too quick on the enter button and sometimes don't type too good.

 

I saw the HAL ship on TV. Actually, it's a big thing for SE CT to try to draw the cruise lines here. The TV interviewed passengers, and HAL said they will survey the passengers and decide whether or not they will make NL a port of call. This was a one time test run at least for now.

 

Don't get me wrong there are things to do and see near NL, but there is not too much in the downtown area within walking distance of the pier. Most of the things to do around the area will require transportation to get there.

[wwinfl91]

We were on the Maasdam when it docked in New London. We received a grand welcome including a 14 gun salute, a visit from the Governor of Ct., and lots of very friendly people everywhere we went. They provided a free shuttle bus to the train terminal where they had set up a welcome center. It was the most friendly port we have ever been to on any of our 11 cruises. People stopped you on the street just to talk with you and welcome you to the town. We were only in port until early afternoon so we had decided to check out Fort Trumble (may be spelled wrong) which we were told was about a mile's walk away. The day was cool and cloudy and the walk wasn't hard. The people at the fort which is normally closed at this time of year let us in to the museum and the fort without having to pay the admission when they found out we were from the ship and had walked up. We got some good pictures and then went back to town this time by taxi as two of the ladies who had come with us didn't know if they could make the walk back. The cab ride cost all of $5 dollars. We then walked around the town using a guide we had gotten at the welcome center and saw some of the older historic buildings in the town. If we would have had a full day we would have gone to Mystic Seaport but several people who had been there before told us it was a place that could easily take a full day to see. As we were walking back to the ship, a gentleman stopped us and asked if we had seen the fife and drum corps which was playing went the ship docked. We had and told him they had done a good job and had gotten invited on board for a short tour and a snack. It turned out his daughter was playing the fife. When we were waiting for the bus to go back to the ship a car pulled up and a guy got out and said he would take 5 people over to the ship because the bus was taking too long and people were having to wait in line and he filled his car and took off.

 

I hope HAL and other cruise lines decide to make this a regular stop as they couldn't find a place that wants them more. St Thomas and some of the Caribbean ports could learn how they should treat people from the people of New London.

 

Have a great next cruise.

 

HAL Noordam 3/97 West Carib

Hal Westerdam 12/97 East Carib

HAL Veendam 11/98 East Carib

Hal Zaandam 12/00 South Carib

HAL Veendam 10/01 Panama Canal

RCCL Enchantment 09/02 W.Carib

Costa Atlantica 12/02 E.Carib

HAL Noordam 03/03 S.Carib

Golden Princess 07/03 Med

Celebrity Zenith 12/03 W.Carib

HAL Maasdam 05/04 Canada

[kitty1]

Yes, that was a big day for CT. New London is trying to get more cruise ships to stop there. SE CT needs more tourism.

 

You must've met our crazy, zany weatherman Scott Haney. It was a big deal... and was all over the news that a cruise ship was in town.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) New London

 

We were on the Maasdam when called on New London for the first time in May. Besides the big gun salute, there was also a fire boat in front of us emiting hugh sprays of water to guide us into port.

 

The fife and drummers played for quite a while while the docked and the cermonies began.

 

Thwon even made a beautiful flower banner welcoming us which was on display by the front office.

 

We did Mystic Seaport and Loved it. Spent a good 4 hours roaming around and eating tasy pastries. There was a free shuttle to take us into town and back to our bus to go back to the ship.

 

Everyone on the tour buses was given a gift bag which contained a bottle of root beer, potato chips, a pencil, map of the area and a couple of other things. As we passed through security we were also given chocolates.

 

The few hours that we spent there wasn't enough as we didn't have time to explore around the town itself.

 

:)

[kitty1]

Krazy Kruizer,

 

Did you recommend to HAL to make New London a permanent port of call?

 

Our local news said this was a one time trial and it was going to be up to the HAL and what the passengers recommended as to whether they return or not.

 

New London also now has a high speed ferry to Block Island that gets there in an hour. The conventional ferry takes almost 4 hours.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) kitty1

 

Yes, we did. But HAL doen't listen to us. Husband knows a man who works in the Seattle office (only by e-mail) and he told him how we loved New London and would have loved to spend more time there.

 

I have noticed that when the Maasdam repositions back from Montreal to Norfolk in the fall, that it doesn't stop at New London.

 

:)

[kitty1]

Just heard on the local news the Maasdam might be returning to New London on Sunday. HAL has asked New London if they can make an emergency last minute call in New London for 10 hours instead of Martha's Vineyard.

 

Unfortunately, at this moment, New London is not sure they can accomodate the ship on such short notice. Originally, they wanted to come on Monday, then changed it to Sunday.... Nothing in downtown New London is open on Sundays, but the shop owners say if the Maasdam comes to town, they will open their stores on Sunday.

 

A final decision will be made tomorrow (Friday). It's too bad... The area really needs the tourism business.

 

There are security issues that need to be worked out before the ship can come back.

[Navy_Chief]

HAL Maasdam is scheduled on the Montreal, Quebec to Norfolk, Virginia run and will be in New London October 27, 2004 (Day 11 according to the itinerary). The ship sails on October 16, 2004. There is no sign of it in HAL's 2005 listings as of right now. Not sure about the other companies. I'm glad to hear people who visited here had a good time. I did see the ship briefly through the haze on my way in the main gate at Pfizer.

 

-Bob

Mystic, CT

 

MS Rotterdam - 8/04 Athens/London