Don't get me wrong, I liked the Cat when it made it's debut in 1998, however, I feel like it wasn't a "perfect fit" to run from Yarmouth to New England. That's how I think the demise of the International ferry started. I feel if it was still the Scotia Prince running from Yarmouth to Portland (or even Boston), we wouldn't have this problem, oh well, Bay Ferries went for a faster ferry and it came back to haunt them, big time. Now, I'm a huge supporter of the Digby-Saint John ferry, however, the Yarmouth-New England ferry is also a vital link, making Yarmouth a Gateway port to the U.S. With the loss of ferry service comes lay offs around Yarmouth and surrounding areas, and it's a sad state of events for people who rely on the tourism industry for employment, and with the Rodd Colony Harbour Inn's rooms (the restaurant will remain open) closing today, it makes me wonder about this wonderful province of ours with no ferry link to our neighbors below us. There is a simple alternative to the Cat Ferry: A cruise ferry to Portland or Boston as the Scotia Prince was. It boasted a casino, hot tub, live entertainment, dining room, cafeteria, and a gift shop among it's many amenities. There was more a variety of things to do on the Scotia Prince than on the Cat. I'm hearing Scotia Cruises (formed by a former employee and consulted by the former president of Scotia Prince Cruises) is interested in running a ship from Yarmouth to either Portland or Boston by next summer with Halifax as an alternative port should a deal with the Port of Yarmouth fall through. There was also a rumor that the Port of Yarmouth was considering a Marine Atlantic superferry to do the run (same rumor for the Digby-Saint John Ferry as well). Oh, the suspense for 2012 is killing me. Hopefully, the ferry will be restored by next spring.
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