Whale Cove (Aug 13/03) - Picture an entire community waiting eagerly by the shore for a ship that will never come.

That is the image that could be seen in Whale Cove three weeks ago.

The entire community gathered for the arrival of the Akademik Ioffe, a cruise organized by Australia-based Peregrine Tours.

Artists with weeks worth of work, throat singers, drum dancers and even the RCMP dressed to the nines in red serge.

It was a reception fit for royalty.

But, instead of celebrating the arrival of nearly 100 hundred tourists, something Whale rarely sees, residents were left staring at an empty horizon.

"We had the entire town waiting at the shore to greet them," said economic development officer Mark Brown.

"It's almost like it was a bit of a joke."

Brown said artists worked for weeks to have arts and crafts ready for sale.

The hamlet even dished out $1,500 to pay two coordinators to organize the grand reception for the cruise ship arrivals.

But, Brown said, at the last minute the ship decided to divert course and go to Marble Island instead.

What burns Brown the most is no one ever told them the ship wasn't arriving.

As well, constant attempts to contact Peregrine Tours has failed.

"I am at a loss to get any answers," said Brown.

"People are feeling pretty let down."

An apology isn't going to sell the mountains of carvings and art that was prepared for the tourists.

With that in mind Brown said he is working on an idea that has been floating around Whale for some time.

"I'm looking at getting together a local artisan society," he said.

The society would help to market local art work down South.

Andrew Prossin, president of Peregrine Tours, said he wasn't sure why the schedule change occurred, but promised he would be looking into it.