Ocean Gateway Pier II is a floating deepwater

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports of call, where passengers may go on Tourism, tours k ...

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

located at the

Ocean Gateway International Marine Passenger Terminal The Ocean Gateway International Marine Passenger Terminal is a cruise ship terminal in Portland, Maine, United States. It was built in two phases: Phase 1 being a new terminal building that in 2008 replaced the original "International Marine Ter ...

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. Construction of the pier began on 1 November 2010 with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by Maine governor

John Baldacci John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he also served in the United States House of Representatives from 199 ...

and city officials. It was opened on 10 September 2011, when ''Enchantment of the Seas'' became the first vessel to dock at the pier. The total cost of building the pier was about $6 million, paid for by a state transportation bond. It was built by the Reed & Reed construction company, which submitted a bid about $1.5 million less than had been budgeted for, allowing an extension of the pier by about over the original plan and the addition of water and electrical services. The pier is composed of a floating barge, anchored to the seabed, at the center of the structure for embarking passengers onto ships, with the remainder a gangway wide enough to accommodate vehicles the size of a golf cart. The gangway is supported by individual pilings and clusters of three pilings. The pier is able to accommodate ships as large as long.

References

{{coord, 43.6596, -70.2432, format=dms, region:US-ME_type:landmark, display=title Buildings and structures completed in 2010 2010 establishments in Maine Water transport buildings and structures in Portland, Maine 21st century in Portland, Maine