Bath ME (Maine)

Bath ME is a Kennebec River cruise port and town Maine state's Sagadahoc County, with a population of around 9,000. As a tourism travel destination, it is popular for its well-preserved 19th-century architecture and the annual festival Iron Works and Heritage Days (held on the 4th of July weekend). The town is part of the Greater Portland metro region.

The area was called "Sagadahoc" (translated as "mouth of a big river") by Abenaki Indians - as a reference to Kennebec River explored in 1605 by Samuel de Champlain (1574-1635). Most of the first settlers were from Bath UK. The Sagadahoc settlement was expanded in 1660 when the land was added from the Indian chief Robinhood. Incorporated as part of Georgetown (1753), Bath was incorporated as a separate town in 1781 and was named after Bath (Somerset, England). It was incorporated as a city in 1847 and designated county seat in 1854.

Among the town's largest industries were iron, brass, and lumber, as well as trade in coal and ice. Bath is also famous for shipbuilding. It was developed since 1743, with over 200 local shipbuilding yards and around 5,000 vessels launched in the region.

By the mid-19th-century, Bath ME became the USA's 5th largest port constructing clipper/sail ships. The last enterprise to build wooden vessels here was Percy & Small Shipyard (in 1971 acquired for preservation by Maine Maritime Museum). Town's most famous shipyard is Bath Iron Works (established in 1884), which is still a major employer in the region and currently a division of General Dynamics Corporation.

As cruise port, Bath ME is included in the regular schedule of USA's largest river cruise company - American Cruise Lines. The next table shows American Independence ship's 7-day "Maine Coast and Harbors" itinerary as ports sequence.

Prices started from ~USD 3100 per person with double occupancy.