Travel

Massport reports a ‘strong rebound’ for cruises

The 2023 cruise season locally begins March 31.

The Norwegian Pearl cruise ship. Massport

December 20, 2022

The Boston cruise industry is sailing toward pre-pandemic levels, according to Massport.

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After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, cruising experienced “a strong rebound” this year, Massport reported in a press release last week.

Flynn Cruiseport Boston saw 128 cruise ships and 310,767 passengers, including 56 homeport vessels — a record number — and 72 port of calls, according to Massport. In 2019, Flynn Cruiseport Boston served a record 138 ships and 402,346 passengers.

“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,” Joseph Morris, Massport port director, said in a statement. “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.”

The season, which ran from April to November, brought 12 maiden voyages to Boston and offered itineraries to destinations such as the Caribbean, Bahamas, Iceland, and Denmark from 19 different cruise lines, Massport noted. Flynn Cruiseport also welcomed its first hybrid cruise ship: the MS Roald Amundsen.

The Boston cruise industry generates more than $135 million annually, according to Massport, and supports more than 2,200 jobs.

The 2023 cruise season begins March 31 with the Norwegian Pearl sailing to Bermuda. Massport expects the 2023 season to be “just as robust as 2022.”