Season's first cruise passengers land in New London
May 9—NEW LONDON — Siegfried and Hildegard Schmeiss have spent years touring America by cruise ship, making stops at towns and cities dotting the waters of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and beyond.
The Schmeisses can now check New London off their travel itinerary.
The Pennsylvania couple were among 58 passengers of the 241-foot American Glory cruise ship that arrived at City Pier late Wednesday for a one-day stopover as part of its seven-day maiden cruise.
On Thursday, the pair joined a small group touring the Lyman Allyn Art Museum before heading to the St. James Episcopal Church to view Louis Comfort Tiffany stained-glass windows.
"We take these cruises to see something new," said Hildegard Schmeiss, 84. "And this is our anniversary cruise after 59 years of marriage. We'll spend some time later in town checking out the stores."
The American Cruise Line vessel left New York City on Monday, making a stop in Old Saybrook before docking in New London as part of an eight-day cruise. The ship will leave the city on Friday and pause in Cape Cod and Plymouth on its way to its final Boston destination.
The arrival marked the return of cruise ships to the city after a yearlong hiatus. American Cruise Line ships will continue stopping in New London seven more times through October as part of the passenger line's "Yankee Seaports" offerings.
In addition to the museum and church tour, passengers could visit the Mystic Seaport, the Submarine Force Museum or board a military history-themed river tour hosted by the Thames River Heritage Park group.
Cruise ships have been making stops in New London for years, though the super-sized versions brought in with the help of a now-defunct state committee have been replaced with smaller, coastal passenger vessels.
Mayor Michael Passero said it's been gratifying to see a range of local stakeholders, including merchants, community organizations and city leaders, come together and "put the best face" of the city on display for the cruise guests.
"It's a big boost for us," Passero said. "And we're able to help show people, not just New London, but also attractions around the region."
Barbara Neff, the city's dockmaster and downtown merchant liaison to the cruise line, said passengers from previous tours lauded the city's "walkability."
"It's a great city to explore," she said. "We know they can't see everything, but we want these passengers to come back again and see those things they missed."
For Ed Sweeney, a 72-year-old Antelope, Calif., resident, the cruise provided an opportunity to explore a specific section of the country he'd never seen.
"My mother was a social studies teacher in Ohio, and we'd travel every summer," he said as his wife, Joyce Sweeney, examined a Tiffany window display at the Lyman Allyn museum. "My first trip to New England was in 1962, but this is our first time here in New London."
Gary and Nancy Cramer, of Cameron Park, Calif., opted to skip the morning excursions in favor of a casual downtown stroll.
"That's what I like, to just walk around and visit the shops," said Nancy Cramer, 75. "That's how I like to see a town and what it has to offer. And we've been taking these kinds of tours in other towns and ended up going back on our own."
