On Saturday, July 6th, Newport will host the Queen Mary 2 as she arrives in Newport Harbor for a visit to the City-by-the-Sea with some 2,691 passengers.

Good morning, Newport! Today is Wednesday, July 2, the 183rd day of 2025. There are 182 days left in the year.

🚨 You need to know

Newport Harbor is welcoming one of the world’s most famous ocean liners today as the majestic Queen Mary 2 makes her scheduled port call at the City by the Sea. The iconic Cunard vessel, which arrived this morning for a day-long visit, anchored in the harbor and tenders passengers to Perrotti Park, giving visitors the chance to explore Newport’s historic waterfront and renowned attractions.

The Queen Mary 2 stands as an engineering marvel and the world’s last true ocean liner, explicitly designed for transatlantic crossings rather than traditional cruise itineraries. Completed in 2004 and measuring 345 meters in length, the ship ranks among the longest cruise vessels in the world, and can accommodate 2,620 passengers along with 1,200 crew members across her 19 decks. With a cruising speed of 30 knots, she holds the distinction of being the world’s fastest cruise liner currently in operation.

Today’s visit marks the midpoint of what promises to be a busy cruise season for Newport Harbor. According to the latest cruise ship schedule from DiscoverNewport.org, the harbor is set to welcome an impressive lineup of vessels through the fall months. The schedule the majority of port calls will occur from September through early November, with September being particularly active with 18 scheduled arrivals, including multiple visits from popular ships like the Enchanted Princess, Norwegian Getaway, and Silver Shadow.

The cruise ship season will continue strong into October with 17 more scheduled arrivals, featuring luxury vessels such as the Crystal Serenity, Viking Mars, and Majestic Princess. The season begins winding down in November with seven final visits, including return calls from the Silver Shadow and Crystal Serenity.

As with all cruise ship visits to Newport, the Queen Mary 2 and other vessels make day-long stops only, with none staying overnight.

Here’s what else you should know

🆕 Fort Adams Trust has opened its mysterious underground listening tunnels to the public for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the self-guided tour experience at the National Historic Landmark.

🕰️ Stories of priceless artwork lying unrecognized for decades will take center stage when one of America’s leading antiquities experts visits Newport next week.

🌬️ Rhode Island’s plan to bring in more offshore wind power appears at risk of washing away after a fourth delay to a scheduled contract signing with a project developer.

🇺🇸 The Newport Historical Society will open the doors of the Colony House on July 4th as part of the city’s Independence Day celebrations, offering residents and visitors a chance to experience history at one of America’s oldest government buildings.

🗓️ On tap this week/weekend: Fourth of July festivities, Newport Classical, Newport Gulls, Newport Polo, and more. Here’s a look at what’s on tap for events, live music, and entertainment this week and weekend.

📰 The Latest from What’sUpNewp

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📈 Yesterday’s most-read

The following were yesterday’s most-read What’sUpNewp articles.

  1. Obituary: Paula Raposo
  2. What Sold: A look at 25 recent sales across Newport County (June 23 – 27)
  3. Obituary: Charles F. Weishar
  4. What’s Up in Newport County this week and weekend: June 30 – July 6
  5. Newport City Council schedules Executive Session following disrupted meeting
  6. Obituary: Richard Morgan
  7. Morning Notes: Preservation Society names new chairman, welcomes trustees at annual gathering
  8. Portsmouth Fire Department quickly contains brush fire on Anthony Road
  9. Colony House to host Independence Day Celebration with Declaration Reading, 21-gun salute
  10. Providence Restaurant Weeks returns with 60+ participating eateries

📅 What’s Up Today

Weather Forecast

  • Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 1 pm and 2 pm. Patchy fog before 8 am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 78. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50%—new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.
  • Tonight: Patchy fog before 2 am, then patchy fog after 4 am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Marine Forecast

  • Today: SW wind 5 to 9 kt. A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 1 pm and 2 pm. Patchy fog before 8 am. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • Tonight: SW wind 5 to 7 kt. Patchy fog before 2 am, then Patchy fog after 4 am. Seas 1 ft or less.
  • The coastal water temperature is 64 degrees.

Sun, Moon & Tide

  • Sunrise at 5:16 am. Sunset at 8:22 pm. 15 hours & 6 minutes of sun.
  • High tide at 1:41 am & 2:15 pm. Low tide at 7:04 am & 8 pm.
  • The lunar phase is a Waxing Crescent.

Things To Do

Live Music & Entertainment

Newport County Public Meetings

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020). He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide. Ryan...