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Updated: September 16, 2024

Visit Portland rolls out city shuttle for cruise passengers

City loop map Map Detail / Courtesy, Visit Portland The new City Loop Shuttle includes 10 stops in Portland, from the Eastern Promenade to the Arts District.
By Renee Cordes

With cruise ship season in full swing, Portland now has a shuttle bus to help shoreside passengers explore more of the city — and shop at more local businesses along the way.
 
The new City Loop Shuttle is an extension of the PortShare Promise pilot program introduced last year by Visit Portland in collaboration with Cruise Portland Maine, Cruise Maine and the Maine Office of Tourism. There's a similar pilot program this year in Rockland and the midcoast running through the final large ship call on Oct. 1.

In Portland, City Loop Shuttle buses depart from the Ocean Gateway Terminal, replacing the hop-on, hop-off bus on a downtown circular route, with 10 stops from the Eastern Promenade to the Arts District.

“Each year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to Portland by cruise ship to enjoy our beautiful city,” said Lynn Tillotson, president and CEO of Visit Portland. “The goal of the PortShare Promise Program, and our new City Loop Shuttle, is to make every cruise day great for the community and visitors.

"This means not only providing easy access to Portland businesses and attractions that are beyond walking distance of Ocean Gateway, but also managing the flow of pedestrian traffic around our working waterfront.”

City Loop bus in Portland, Maine
Photo / Courtesy, Visit Portland
Day passes for the City Loop Shuttle are $15 per person.

Vehicles are being provided by VIP Charter Coaches.
 
“As a Portland-based business our drivers love to share ‘insider information’ with visitors on the City Loop Shuttle route understanding that this is not a guided tour and a transportation conduit to parts of the city that are often missed by visitors,” said Tom Spina, the company’s managing partner. 

“Our goal is to continue to build upon this program in collaboration with Visit Portland as we continue to see the popularity of it grow, more people buying tickets online, and lots of smiling faces getting on and off the City Loop Shuttle."

File photo / Peter Van Allen
Cruise ships in Portland harbor. At right, Mein Schiff 6, which can accommodate 2,534 passengers plus crew.

Growing ship traffic

Last year, 110 ships brought 157,775 passengers to Maine’s largest city,  generating at least $13 million in economic impact in the Greater Portland area, according to Visit Portland.

This year, that number is expected to increase to 153 vessels carrying more than 204,000 passengers, for an anticipated economic impact of $19 million.
 
Day passes for the City Loop Shuttle are $15 per person and entitle the pass holder to get on and off the shuttle throughout the day at various stops. 

VIP Charter Coaches is providing a Sprinter van and a larger bus for the shuttle service, though details on the passenger capacity of each vehicle were not immediately available.

The shuttle typically runs from 8 a.m to 4 p.m. on days when there is a cruise ship in Portland carrying 2,500 or more passengers.  

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1 Comments

James Wright
September 16, 2024

The route should go up to Longfellow Square before it turns around.

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