Business bounces back at Flynn Cruiseport Boston

Some 310,767 passengers visited on 128 calls, including 56 homeport vessels and 72 transit calls. 

Five homeporting ships

A record five cruise ships from four lines homeported, and the number of passengers and ships in October surpassed the same month in 2019.

Pre-pandemic (2019), Boston chalked up a record 402,346 passengers on 138 calls.

'We were thrilled to see that the demand for cruising continues to be strong as we work to support the recovery of travel and tourism in New England,' Massport Port Director Joseph Morris said. 'Boston has grown as both a homeport and destination port of call for multiple cruise lines, and we look forward to expanding our itineraries for customers in the future.'

12 maiden calls

The 2022 cruise season started in April and ended before Thanksgiving. Massport celebrated 12 maiden calls including Norwegian Pearl, Nieuw Statendam, Carnival Legend, Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess and Roald Amundsen.

Nineteen lines offered itineraries spanning from the Caribbean and Bahamas to Greenland, Iceland and Denmark.

New cruises that started or ended in Boston included Celebrity Summit's October 12-day itinerary from Boston to the Caribbean, ending at Miami. Vantage Cruise Line’s Ocean Explorer departed Oct. 29 for a 10-day transit along the East Coast to Nassau, Bahamas. Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas offered a 14-day 'Arctic Crossing' that embarked at Copenhagen and ended in Boston on Sept. 18.

Shipboard events

Massport hosted shipboard events involving travel advisors, as well.

Celebrity Cruises’ inaugural homeport season was marked with a fireside chat featuring CEO and Gloucester native Lisa Lutoff-Perlo and Massport CEO Lisa Wieland. This event enabled more than 100 regional travel partners the opportunity to engage with a cruise line executive who has local roots, while highlighting New England women in maritime leadership.

'Our first season homeporting in Boston was a great success and we can’t wait to build on it for the 2023 season,' Lutoff-Perlo said. 'As a native of the Boston area, I’m thrilled to see the region thrive and congratulate all of the teams within the Massachusetts Port Authority on a truly stellar year.'

Flynn Cruiseport also hosted Windstar Cruises’ Star Pride and the James Beard Foundation for an event with local chef and owner of Mei Mei Dumplings Irene Li, which included a cooking demonstration and media reception. As the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation, Windstar raises awareness of the epicurean delights that can be discovered in ports around the world.

'Ideal homeport'

Holland America Line President Gus Antorcha called Boston an ideal homeport for a significant number of North American voyages. 'Whether exploring Canada and New England or discovering the wonders of Greenland, Iceland and the British Isles, guests can sail round-trip from Boston and enjoy the best service at sea,' he said.

And Princess Cruises President John Padgett called Massport a 'valued business partner,' adding 'Boston is one of our most popular destinations with nearly 40,000 Princess guests experiencing the city’s unique history, culture and landmarks each year.'

2023 season

Massport projects an equally robust 2023 cruise season, set to begin March 31 with Norwegian Pearl sailing to Bermuda.

'Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises congratulate Flynn Cruiseport Boston on a strong comeback year,' said Juan Kuryla, SVP port development and construction, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. 'The health of the cruise industry is critical for port communities as its contributions help stimulate the local economy and support infrastructure investments. Flynn Cruiseport Boston is the homeport for one of our most popular itineraries to Bermuda and we are excited to continue our strong partnership.'

According to Massport, cruises generate more than $135m in annual economic impact and support more than 2,200 jobs, as well as regional businesses, from transportation providers and restaurants to tourist attractions, airlines, hotels, souvenir shops and companies that provision ships.