Massport’s 2018 cruise season kicked off this month with an official event at the Flynn Cruiseport in South Boston. The event gathered together local elected officials, members of the South Boston community, tourism leaders, cruise ship operators and local businesses to usher in a robust season of cruise ships coming to and from the Flynn Cruiseport in Boston’s Seaport District. Here is the 2018 cruise schedule from Boston, and the directory of cruise lines. Among the new itineraries announced: Holland America Line is offering two 14-day cruises to Cuba, departing June 23 and August 4 aboard the MS Veendam. Norwegian Cruise is offering a 14-Day Eastern Caribbean tour departing October 26 on Norwegian Dawn. Royal Caribbean Cruise Line is offering three 7-night Bermuda sailings, departing September 23, October 7 and October 7 aboard the Serenade of the Seas. Massport also continues to offer great weekly escapes to Bermuda and the beautiful fall itineraries throughout Canada and New England. In addition, a new park was dedicated to the late William J. “Hank” “Skippy” Miller, a longshoreman and past president of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) Local 800. Massport has invested nearly $20M in capital improvements to the Flynn Cruiseport, contributing to strong growth in ship calls and passenger volume. Larger ships, two to three times the size calling the Port today, are now seeking Boston as a homeport. Flynn Cruiseport Boston handled a record 388,222 visitors during the 2017 cruise season and approximately 400,000 are expected in 2018. Cruise calls will stretch through November, with 150 visits from 35 ships of 19 lines, according to Massport. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Massachusetts is one of the top ten states benefitting economically from the global cruise industry. CLIA estimates the cruise industry contributes more than $485 million annually to the Massachusetts economy. To date, the Massachusetts cruise industry has generated nearly 2,000 jobs and about $24 million in annual federal and state tax revenue. Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn said that the Boston seaport “continues to draw more cruise passengers as both a port of call and a starting point for longer journeys to Canada, the Caribbean and beyond. The men and women employed at the Cruiseport provide a warm welcome to those traveling through and recognize the significant impact tourism has on the Commonwealth and the country as a whole.” Massport’s Port Director Lisa Wieland called the Port of Boston “a popular cruise destination enticing visitors from around the world with extensive history, culture, shopping and world class culinary experiences. Looking ahead to the future, Boston will continue to grow as both an embarkation port and destination port of call for multiple cruise lines as we improve our infrastructure and expand our itineraries.” Flynn Cruiseport is located in the vibrant Seaport District. It is easily accessible from both I-90 and I-93 and minutes from Logan International Airport. Those who are interested should visit massport.com/cruiseport/ to learn more. For information about visiting Massachusetts, go to MassVacation.com.

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