FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GETTING TO THE ISLAND and PARKING
By telephone: Just give
us a call at 207-766-3005, and we'll help you find the right
home for your vacation.
By email: Fill out the form on our Contact
Page, and we'll contact you within 24
hours.
Once you've chosen your home, we'll mail you a lease and a request that you send us a 50% deposit within two weeks to confirm your reservation. The balance will be due two weeks before your arrival at Diamond Cove.
What are the methods of payment?
MasterCard, Visa, Discover and personal checks are welcome. We will send you a reminder when the final payment is due, or, if you use a credit card, we'll offer you the option of having your final payment automatically charged to your credit card on the due date.
Other than a 7% Maine Lodging Tax and a 5% Rental Impact Fee charged by our homeowners association, there are no other fees. Our rental rates include use of all the Diamond Cove facilities, transportation in our vans, towels and linens, and a complete departure cleaning at the end of your stay.
What is the Security (Damage) Deposit?
A security (damage) deposit,
$500 unless otherwise noted on your lease, is due with the
final payment. We'll hold this deposit to cover any
expenses incurred as a result of your rental, such as for
the repair of damage, replacement of any lost or missing
property, or for any unusual and excessive cleaning
expenses. Any damages in excess of the security
deposit amount are your responsibility and will be billed to
you; the security deposit is not a limitation of your
liability. We refund security deposits within thirty
days of departure dates.
We can hold a credit card
number or a personal check for the security deposit.
If you use a check, we advise that you send a separate check
for the rent and the security so we do not have to hold
actual funds. If the extra check is not needed it can
be returned or destroyed. If you use one check, we'll
send you a check to refund the money within 30 days.
What is the Cancellation Policy?
If you must cancel your
reservation and we receive notice of the cancellation in
writing more than ninety days prior to the beginning of the
rental, your 50% deposit is fully refundable, minus a $50
service fee. If you must cancel with fewer than ninety
days before your rental begins, we will refund your deposit
if we can re-rent the home for the same period (minus the
$50 service fee).
During the summer, we have a one-week minimum stay, and a two-day minimum the rest of the year. For shorter stays during the summer, please call for 'last-minute reservations'. If a home is still available less that ten days before your desired arrival date, we may be able to rent it for less than a full week. The rent will be prorated on a five-day basis, i.e., the daily rate will be the weekly rate divided by five.
Our rental homes are well-equipped, and towels and linens are supplied, so you won't have to bring much more than your food and your clothes. (And we urge you to pack lightly, as you would for an airline trip, since your belongings will be moved on and off the ferry, and from the dock to your home, etc.)
Our fluffy white towels are meant to be used inside the homes only, so please bring your own beach/pool towels.
The Diamond Cove General Store now offers an "Arrival Day Package" for the convenience of our guests. It contains the non-food items that you'll need for your vacation on the island: laundry and dishwasher detergent, dishwashing liquid, toilet paper and paper towels, City of Portland trash bags, paper napkins and facial tissues. For more information on the store, see their website, www.diamondcovestore.com. To order this package please contact Geoff Lambert at 207-766-0078. You'll be able to pre-order with a credit card, and delivery will be made before your arrival.
If you'll need a crib, we have several travel cribs available at no charge. Please let us know in advance of your arrival.
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Can we buy our food on the island?
- Where will we shop in Portland?
Portland has several well-stocked supermarkets, including a large natural foods store, as well as many good specialty shops and a farmers' market. At least a month before your arrival date, we'll send you a map of Portland with convenient parking and shopping suggestions marked. Some great options include
Whole Foods Market (2 Somerset St, just off Franklin Street Arterial, 207-774-7711) Huge natural supermarket and cafe just down Franklin Street from the ferry. They will also deliver phone orders to the isalnd; see below.
Hannaford Food and Drug on Forest Avenue is a particularly convenient and well-stocked full-service supermarket.
Browne Trading Company (Merrill's Wharf, 262 Commercial Street; 207-775-7560) has fabulous seafood and specialty smoked seafood, caviar, gourmet groceries, desserts and fresh produce.
Harbor Fish Market - A landmark on Portland’s waterfront (9 Custom House Wharf, just west of the ferry dock), offers a complete array of fresh seafood.
The Standard Baking Company is an excellent bakery located across Commercial Street from the ferry terminal.
The Farmers' Market is held at Deering Oaks Park in downtown Portland on Saturday mornings from May through November, and Monument Square on Congress Street on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
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How will we get our food to the island?
Casco Bay Lines is very experienced at delivering your things to the island. If you shop for food in Portland, just ask to have your order packed in boxes. Duffle bags work well, too, and you may want to take a cooler or insulated bag along as well. Drop off your food and other luggage at the ferry's freight room about an hour or so before your boat leaves. The CBL crew will charge a small fee, and it will be delivered to the Diamond Cove dock.
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Are there any other options for grocery shopping?
Yes! If you can't find
what you need at our general store, Whole Foods will deliver
grocery orders to the island. Call or email before 5pm for
delivery the next day. Call Brad Richman at (207) 774-7711
or email
naptlprovisions@wholefoods.com. Make sure your order
is marked with your name and unit number, and the van driver
will deliver to your door!
Are there restaurants on the island?
Diamond's Edge is our popular island restaurant, offering casual fine dining on the outdoor deck, in the dining room, or on the lawn overlooking the cove.
The General Store is where you'll head for ice cream, snacks, morning coffee, or an informal island meal. Your order can be packed to take home, or you can enjoy it on the comfortable front porch, where there's wireless internet service as well.
Great Diamond Island is a wonderful island to explore by bicycle, and you are welcome to bring your own bikes. Casco Bay Lines bike tickets cost $6 adult bike/$3 child/$15 book of five, whether you wheel it on the boat yourself or leave it in the freight room. If you would like to rent bicycles, Great Diamond Rentals has many available, just ask for a bike rental form.
Kayaks can also be carried on the ferry, or they can be rented from Ring's Marine Service with advance notice (www.ringsmarineservice.com).
GETTING TO THE ISLAND and PARKING
How do we get to Diamond Cove?
By air: Portland International Jetport (PWM) is served by major airlines. The airport is about a ten minute drive from Casco Bay Lines, where you'll get the ferry to the island.By car: Portland is about a two-hour drive north of Boston. From the Maine Turnpike (Interstate 95) north or south, take Exit 44 onto Interstate 295. Exit 7, Franklin Street Arterial, leads directly to Casco Bay Lines (the ferry terminal for the islands) on the waterfront.
Portland is also served by Amtrak, Greyhound, Vermont Transit and Continental Trailways.
Once you've arrived at Casco Bay Lines,
you'll want to buy tickets to Diamond Cove (they're all
round-trip). They cost approximately $10 for adults,
$5 for children and seniors; or a book of five adult tickets
for $30.50 may be shared by family members. No
reservations are required. If you have luggage to
check, arrive early and drive around to the back of the
ferry terminal to the freight room; the CBL crew will take
care of transporting your things for a small
fee. (Casco Bay Lines does not carry freight on
the 4:30 ferry. Luggage will be shipped on
the 5:45 boat instead. Or, if you have the option of
dropping off some of your luggage at the freight room before
2:15 p.m., it can be shipped on the 3:15 ferry and
delivered to your home before your arrival on the
island. Just mark everything with the green tags that
are included in the "Information Package" that
you'll receive in the mail.)
For more information, the Casco Bay Lines website is www.cascobaylines.com.
At Diamond Cove, Great Diamond Rentals will meet you at the dock, and Diamond Cove's van will transport you and your belongings to your home.
Since we have no private cars at Diamond Cove, and all amenities are within easy walking distance, you'll leave your car in Portland during your visit to the island. There are several options within walking distance of the ferry terminall, all noted on the map that we will send you, and also on the Casco Bay Lines website, www.cascobaylines.com.
What are Check-In and Check-Out times?
Note: In 2006 (and probably in 2007), Casco Bay Lines did not carry freight on the 4:30 ferry. Luggage was shipped on the 5:45 boat instead.
On departure day, either the 8:45am or the 9:25am ferry will allow you to vacate your home in time for our housekeepers to begin cleaning at 10:00am. If your final day is a Sunday, the ferry schedule is somewhat different, and you may be able to delay your check-out time until the 11:45 ferry.
We will send you a ferry schedule about a month before your arrival date.
Are there telephones in the homes?
Will I be able to access the internet with my computer?
Yes - just contact your service provider for a local access dial-up number. In addition, the General Store has wireless internet access, so you can bring your laptop and enjoy their outdoor deck while you have a snack. Some of our rental homes are also adding wireless internet: please see individual listings for availability.
Will I be able to receive mail and packages?
Yes. To receive mail
during your visit, please
email us prior to the delivery and use this address
for U.S.Mail, Fedex, UPS, etc.:
Guest: Great Diamond Rentals
c/o Roger Shoemaker
Diamond Cove
Great Diamond Island, ME 04109
Attn: Your name and unit number
Is medical assistance available on the island?