New London — Mayor Michael Passero and a group of city officials were on hand early Monday to welcome the passengers of the first of two cruise ships arriving in the city this week.

The 285-foot Ocean Navigator was to spend the day in New London before continuing on its voyage up the coast to ports in Newport, Provincetown, Boston, Portland, Bar Harbor, eventually ending in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Passengers embarked in Savannah, Ga., and will stop in 12 different ports on its 15-day cruise up the East Coast.

The Ocean Navigator and its more than 80 passengers were expected to make an unplanned overnight stay at City Pier because of a impending storm.

For passenger Tyler Coplen of Virginia, the extra time was not a problem. Coplen and his wife had just finished a tour of the Shaw Mansion and strolled into the Custom House Maritime Museum on Bank Street.

The museum opened at 9 a.m. to accommodate the tourists and will be open again when the Ocean Navigator’s sister ship, Ocean Voyager, arrives on Thursday.

Coplen said his first impression of New London was it was a “clean city in a beautiful area.”

He said he would have spent more time at Fort Trumbull if it had been a bit warmer with less of a breeze. Coplen had not heard of New London before his visit but said as with other stops along the cruise route, “we’re really enjoying whatever comes.” The couple has been on other cruises in Europe and in Alaska and said American Queen Voyages was doing a good job with food and accommodations.

The cruise line even paid for the tours in each city. New London’s three-hour tour, in which passengers were bused to various locations, was hosted by Don Presley from New London Landmarks.

Barbara Neff, the city’s dockmaster and event planner, said passengers were all handed gift bags with brochures and coupons to local restaurants. Open restaurants posted welcome signs in their windows.

Neff said the city is an attractive stop not only because of its history but because  it has a deep-water port and concrete pier that is easily accessible for ships traveling up and down the East Coast. Neff said the two ships have planned a return to New London in the fall.

Passero said he expects to see more mid-sized cruise ships in the future. It has been four years since a cruise ship last arrived in the city, and the industry is only now emerging from the devastating effects of the pandemic.

“It makes us a tourist destination. Once we get the National Coast Guard Museum built, it will be more of an attraction,” Passero said. “We’re set up for this.”

g.smith@theday.com