Cruise: Boston, Seattle

Former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn joined elected officials, and children from the South Boston community on May 16 in helping the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) celebrate the 30th anniversary of Cruiseport Boston.

Cruiseport Boston opened in 1986 and welcomed 13 cruise ships and a total of 11,723 passengers in its first season. More than 320,000 passengers are expected on 114 ship calls this season. Cruise operations at Massport provide over 950 direct jobs and annual generate nearly $80 million in economic impact and $25 million in annual local, state, and federal tax revenue.

"This is an exciting milestone for not only Massport, but for the cruising community and the entire region," said Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn. "Cruiseport Boston has grown into a well-established launching point for quality cruises, whether you’re heading to Canada or Bermuda. In the meantime, the industry is recognizing Boston as a significant embarkation port, in part because of our engaged cruising community. This will help keep Massachusetts among the top 10 states benefitting from the cruise industry."

Mr. Glynn went on to praise Mayor Flynn for his dedication to the preservation of the South Boston waterfront. A native and longtime resident of South Boston, he served as mayor of Boston from 1984 until 1993 before being appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. In his younger days, Mr. Flynn and several family members were dock workers in South Boston.

On behalf of Mayor Marty Walsh, the city’s chief of economic development named May 16th - 20th "Cruiseport Boston Week."

It was, indeed, a special week. On Wednesday, May 18, Disney Magic made her maiden call in Boston during a 15-day voyage from Florida to Dover, England. Disney Magic is 984 feet long, sports 11 decks, and carries 2,400 passengers. The following day, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas with 4,180 passengers aboard made her inaugural docking at Black Falcon cruise terminal. She is the largest cruise ship to call Boston.

At the anniversary celebration, Massport unveiled community art murals created by children from various local schools under the guidance Dan McCole, a watercolor painter, as well as the co-founder and president of the South Boston Arts Association.

About Cruiseport Boston:

• 21 cruise lines will call Cruiseport Boston during the 2016 cruise season, which runs from late April through early November.

• Eight ships will be making maiden calls to Boston this season.

• Cruise industry spending generates over 8,000 jobs and $479 million in income for Massachusetts workers.

• Passengers and crew on a typical 7-day Holland America cruise will consume 20,000 eggs, 1,500 gallons of milk, 3,200 pounds of beef, 2,900 pounds of chicken, 2,000 pounds of fish and nearly 18 pounds of caviar.

• Approximately 70 percent of travelers taking a Canada/New England cruise from Boston travel here by air, while approximately 95 percent who take a Bermuda cruise or a re-positioning cruise to the Caribbean live within a five-hour drive of Boston.

• Cruiseport Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal is named for the 440-foot Norwegian merchant vessel Black Falcon which caught fire November 2, 1953, claiming the lives of eight longshoremen. At the time, the terminal served as a United States Army Base.

In 2010, the main terminal received an $11 million makeover, which tripled the usable space on the third floor to allow for faster processing of passengers embarking or returning from a cruise, and added vibrant colors, environmentally friendly lighting, new elevators and people movers, and signage giving visitors a sense of place and destinations served.

In 2015, renovations to the second terminal were completed. The $3.2 million project included improved ventilation, heating, lighting, additional outlets for power and data to facilitate ticketing and baggage functions, new restrooms, and new storefront installations to provide more daylight into the existing space.

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas visiting Cruiseport Boston
Photo/Massport

Port of Seattle Funds Grants to Support Tourism

The Port of Seattle announced May 16 it had awarded 13 grants to support tourism across Washington State. The grants will fund nearly $100,000 in projects, from websites and advertising to booths at tourism fairs. The grants must be matched by the organization and used for publicizing and attracting visitors to their destinations.

"The Port of Seattle is the gateway for the entire state of Washington," said Commission President John Creighton. "By helping local communities grow tourism, we can boost regional economic development by getting more visitors to spend more dollars in great destinations across our state."

With its grant, the Ballard Chamber of Commerce plans to develop a new brand and website to provide a one-stop resource about "all things Ballard." Chamber Executive Director Mike Stewart said the site will feature information about restaurants, shopping, services, and unique experiences, like a visit to the Ballard Locks, Fishermen’s Terminal, Shilshole Bay Marina, or Golden Gardens Park.

The port has been encouraging tourists to extend their visits to the region by highlighting places across the state that offer interesting experiences. One goal is to entice some of the nearly one million annual Alaskan cruise passengers to "cruise and stay," adding a few days on either end of their cruise to sight-see in Washington.

View a full listing of the port’s 2016 Tourism Grant Awards.