When the silhouettes of large ocean liners appear in Newport harbor, the sight prompts images of thousands of cruise ship passengers flooding the City by the Sea. And while sea-traveling visitors are an important part of tourism in Newport, it’s a smaller portion than people may think.
“The cruise ship industry is very visual … the ships are very large and a very visual part of tourism,” said Evan Smith, president of the Newport County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “But we only have 60,000 passengers coming in this year and they’re all very important. But put that against the 3.5 million visitors we have annually, it’s not really a large market.”
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But the market fills an important niche in Newport, the boats bringing “quality” travelers and enticing those there for just a few hours to plan a longer vacation at a later date, said Susan Cooper, Newport’s director of parks, recreation and tourism.
“The cruise ships are an important part of our tourism industry because these folks come without cars, and they come for a snapshot of Newport,” Cooper said. “It gives them a nice idea whether this is a destination they want to come back to and spend more time during a vacation.”
In 2004, Cooper said 57,000 cruise ship passengers visited Newport on 76 ship visits. In 2003, the city hosted 48,700 passengers on 59 ship visits. The city collects a $4 tax on each passenger who visits Newport. This year, just 32 boats are scheduled to drop anchor in Newport harbor, according to the convention and visitors bureau.
Further underscoring the value of oceangoing tourists is the fact that most of the boats arrive during “shoulder season,” in September and October.
“And they’re often arriving on weekdays. It’s nice traffic for local businesses,” Cooper said.
The reason fewer boats are scheduled this season is due in part to the fact that cruise liners are bigger than ever and hold more passengers, Smith said.
“We’re getting less ships, but in general those ships are holding more people,” Smith said. The Queen Mary is scheduled to make two visits this season.
The cruise ship industry estimates that passengers spend an average of $107 each when they visit a port, meaning that this season passengers can be expected to spend $6 million in Newport visiting mansions, strolling Thames Street or visiting historical landmarks in the city.
Passengers take a tender that docks at Perrotti Park on America’s Cup Boulevard, placing them square in the city’s activity center.
Passengers are briefed about which shore excursions are available before they get to port, Smith said. Many choose the mansion tours or go kayaking, sailing or on an historical walking tour.
Many simply shop.
Boats typically arrive at Newport in time for sunrise and depart 10 or 12 hours later, Smith said.
Most of the ships that stop in Newport are on fall foliage excursions that go up into Canada.
Smith said Newport’s greatest competition as a cruise ship port doesn’t come from other East Coast cities like New York or Boston, but from Alaska and the Mediterranean.
