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 Reservations 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, $300 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 (but usually sooner).
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. (See Diamond Cove.) 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.
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.
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.
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 Cafe at 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 will make the arrangements with a Portland bike shop, and your bikes will be on the island when you arrive. Adult bikes are $40 per week (add $5 for a child seat), and children's are $35. Helmets are not provided. Please reserve your bikes in advance.
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 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 on the waterfront.
Portland is also served by Amtrak, Greyhound, 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 cars at Diamond Cove, and all amenities are within easy walking distance, you'll want to leave your car in Portland during your visit to the island. The Casco Bay Garage is adjacent to the ferry terminal; there are several other options as well, 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?
Will we have to clean our home on our last day?