Cruise: Boston

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Massport kicked off the 2014 cruise season at Cruiseport Boston on Friday, May 9, with the sailing of Norwegian Dawn on the first of 22 seven-day round-trip cruises to Bermuda.

Norwegian Dawn launches Boston’s 2014 Cruise Season 

Massport kicked off the 2014 cruise season at Cruiseport Boston on Friday, May 9, with the sailing of Norwegian Dawn on the first of 22 seven-day round-trip cruises to Bermuda. The cruise ship’s departure followed a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn, Norwegian Dawn Captain Teo Grbic, and Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s executive vice president of global sales and passenger services. 

"Last year was a record-breaking season at Cruiseport Boston with 382,885 passengers," said Mr. Glynn. "We are very happy to kick-off the 2014 season and offer passengers the opportunity to enjoy cruises out of Boston or to come and explore the city and region as a port of call."

This year’s schedule offers 115 port calls and sailings, including itineraries to Bermuda and Canada/New England through October, a Europe/Transatlantic sailing in July, and repositioning cruises to Tampa and New Orleans through the Caribbean and to San Diego via the Panama Canal.

Among this season’s highlights will be maiden calls by ships from Carnival Cruise Lines, Pearl Seas Cruises, Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, and Plantours Reisen. Queen Mary 2 will call Boston in September to celebrate the ship’s 10-year anniversary.

Massport recently invested $11 million to renovate Cruiseport Boston with new vibrant colors, environmentally friendly lighting, elevators and moving walkways, and signage giving visitors a sense of place and destinations served.

"We look forward to continuing to grow the cruise business in Boston," said Deborah Hadden, Massport’s port director. "A thriving cruise business means another economic engine that contributes to the local and regional economy and provides good-paying jobs."

According to an economic impact study released last year by Cruise Lines International Association, direct expenditures by the cruise industry in Massachusetts generated 8,154 jobs and $479 million in income throughout the state in 2012.

Noting that whenever a cruise ship is in port, its passengers and crew are supporting local businesses and jobs, Ms. Hadden went on to say: "This is often the first time many port of call passengers have been to Boston. A lot of these visitors will come back to the city for a longer period of time in order to experience and enjoy the award-winning restaurants and museums, shopping, professional sports and other tourist attractions."