Ribbon cutting day for OC Cruise Port

By Arnold Santos  |  Lifestyles Editor, Travel Corespondant

OCEAN CITY, Md. — Ocean City officially entered the cruise industry Tuesday morning, welcoming the first of what officials expect will be hundreds of cruise ship visits each year.

The inaugural vessel docked at the city's newly completed cruise terminal near the inlet, where passengers were greeted by local dignitaries, marching bands, complimentary Fisher's Popcorn, and a ceremonial bucket of Thrasher's French fries.

Officials say the new port is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of additional visitors annually while establishing Ocean City as a regular stop for both Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean.

"This has been years in the making," Mayor Rick Meehan said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "People have always come to Ocean City. Now they'll just be arriving 6,000 at a time."

Despite concerns from residents about traffic, parking, overcrowding, and environmental impacts, city officials insist the additional tourism will have only a minimal effect on daily life.  "Most visitors will already be stuck in Route 50 traffic before they even realize there's a cruise ship in town," one transportation planner explained.

Parking officials assured residents that the city's existing parking system was already operating near maximum inconvenience, leaving little room for further deterioration.

Passengers will be able to choose from dozens of organized shore excursions, including:

   • A guided tour of Ocean City's historic Boardwalk.

   • Unlimited rides at Jolly Roger Amusement Park.

   • Championship golf packages at several area courses featuring priority tee times generously donated by local golfers.

   • Beach metal detecting expeditions using professional-grade equipment.

   • Deep-sea fishing charters departing directly from the inlet.

   • The Wild Horses of Assateague Experience, where environmental protections will limit tours to just 800 visitors at a time.

Officials are especially excited about the Boardwalk Walking Tour, which will recreate the authentic Ocean City experience by encouraging guests to travel in family groups of six while walking side-by-side across the entire width of the boardwalk.  Tour organizers say the experience has been marketed internationally as "The Authentic Tourist Trap Experience."

The city has also announced several infrastructure improvements to prepare for increased tourism, including expanded shuttle service, additional baggage facilities, upgraded customs processing, and plans to widen Coastal Highway by another six inches.

Officials described the widening project as "more symbolic than anything else."

Environmental officials likewise dismissed concerns about the impact of thousands of additional visitors on Assateague Island.

"We're confident the ponies will eventually get used to the constant selfie requests," one spokesperson said.

Construction of the terminal has already generated enthusiasm among local businesses.

Boardwalk merchants say they expect cruise passengers to spend heavily during their eight-hour visits before returning to the ship.  Local hotel owners were equally optimistic.  "We don't expect this to affect us at all," one owner admitted. "They're sleeping on the boat."

"I'm not worried," said Ocean City resident, Karen Stippe, "If you've ever tried to drive down Coastal Highway on the Fourth of July, you've already accepted that time has no meaning."

"We've always been a destination," Meehan said, "now we're a destination between destinations."

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