This was the first time the Norwegian Sea was visiting Portland and it showed a little.
While we were docked instead of anchored, the process of getting off the ship was still very slow because the gangway was at a very steep angle and also because it had a weight limit.
Add to this the age and limited mobility of many of the passengers, and you can understand why getting off the ship took a while. Several people complained quite heavily. We were on vacation, and the crew was worried about the safety of the passengers, what's the problem?
Once off the ship, some people elected to rent a car from enterprise ("They pick you up") while Lisa and I hired another guide ($100 plus $10 tip for what was supposed to be a 4-hour tour, but stretched to 4.5 hours and would have gone longer if we wanted).
This was definitely a good choice, even though our guide wasn't that experienced. He brought us to half a dozen lighthouses, showed us a local family chain of sandwich shops offering a $5.50 lobster roll (terrific with lots of lobster) and then brought us to Freeport where we could shop at L.L. Bean and have a lobster lunch at a local restaurant. Well worth it!
Go to the Portland Head light. This is definitely a beautiful and photogenic light house. Make sure you walk around and photograph it from different angles.
Portland is a nice stop, particularly if you like lighthouses. Portland Head Light is spectacularly photogenic from either side.