PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Nova Star ferry from Portland, Maine, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, has left on its first voyage.

The overnight cruise ferry departed Portland shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday. It arrives in Yarmouth at 8 a.m. Friday. It’s scheduled to run seven days a week until Nov. 2. on the same schedule. The return trip departs Yarmouth at 10 a.m. and arrives in Portland at 7 p.m.

The ferry’s operators have said they expect 100,000 or more passengers per year. The ship was christened in Boston on Monday. The 528-foot cruise ferry is expected to accommodate 1,200 passengers and include a casino, retail store, spa and fine dining.

A previous ferry, the Scotia Prince, ran from 1982 to 2004, and The Cat, a high-speed ferry, operated from 2006 to 2009.

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