Cruise Ships to Hamilton

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Hamilton: Cruise central?

JUST CRUISING The MV Grand Mariner got a warm reception when it docked in Hamilton Harbour Saturday.
Related Stories Cruise ship's stop in Hamilton brings fresh tourism potential
(Aug 21, 2010) - The ore carriers and cargo ships that normally slip in and out of Hamilton Harbour will get... .It wasn’t the Queen Mary 2 that sailed into Hamilton harbour on Saturday.

But the little MV Grand Mariner certainly got the royal treatment.

A huddle of dignitaries greeted the noon-hour arrival of the American cruise ship, along with a small colour guard from the HMCS Star naval reserve, hand-made chocolates, welcoming drinks, even a spotless red carpet.

The only thing missing from the civic reception was a brass band.

There was just a spit of rain as the 96-passenger ship sidled up to Pier 8, east of the Discovery Centre, and crew members scrambled to make her fast.

Although neither glittering nor glamourous, the Mariner represents a golden opportunity for local tourism and the Hamilton Port Authority.

It is the first cruise ship to include Hamilton as a port of call on a regularly scheduled itinerary. The 10-day Skylines and Islands cruise, operated by Blount Small Ship Adventures of Rhode Island, was sailing from New York City to Toronto via the Erie Canal and putting in at several New York state towns before hitting Kingston, Port Weller and Hamilton.

The ship returns to Hamilton Thursday on a reverse Toronto-New York cruise, but, unlike Saturday, will not be docking overnight.