"November brings the Massachusetts Port Authority's (Massport) 2002 cruise season to a record-topping close with 93 ship calls and 208,286 passengers traveling through the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, an increase of 14,756 passengers or 7.6% over the regularly scheduled number of passengers in 2001. The 2002 season sets the record for the number of scheduled passengers passing through Massport's Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, topping the approximately 198,000 passengers that visited during the 2000 season.

"We are committed to expanding Boston as a destination for cruise passengers. At every turn, we remind the cruise lines that Boston is a premier city with unique historic attractions and world-class shopping only minutes away from the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in South Boston," said Massport CEO Craig P. Coy, who has met with representatives of the major cruise lines to pitch increased service.

"The cruise industry provides $50 million for the City of Boston and the region's travel, hospitality, transportation and retail industries," continued Coy. Industry experts estimate that each major cruise ship brings $500,000 to $750,000 worth of economic impact to its port of call.

Between April and November, the Norwegian Majesty had 26 regularly scheduled cruises from Boston to Bermuda. A sister ship, the Norwegian Dream, offered three Boston-Canadian cruises. Holland America's Rotterdam also introduced a Boston to Canada itinerary with 10 cruises and made a transatlantic crossing.

Royal Caribbean's brand new ship, Brilliance of the Seas made Boston her first port of entry in the United States after a transatlantic cruise from Harwich, England. Brilliance then offered five embarkations from Boston to Canada.

New to Boston, Golden Princess, a premium-class ship capable of carrying 2,800 passengers, made five visits to the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal. Golden Princess and Carnival's Triumph, which carries up to 3,000 passengers, are the two largest ships to visit Boston this season.

The world's first condo cruise ship, World of ResidenSea, made its debut in Boston this year. The one-of-a-kind vessel features 110 spacious and elegantly decorated apartments which can be purchased for $2.25million to $7.5 million each. Some of the condos and studio guest suites can be rented and start at $2,100 per night with a five-day minimum.

The elegant grand dame, Queen Elizabeth 2, also visited in 2002 and allowed local television news cameras aboard to give Boston area viewers an inside peek of the luxurious liner.

NOTE: In addition to the 193,530 passengers on regularly scheduled cruises during 2001, the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal handled almost 60,000 additional passengers due to diversions because of the terrorist attacks of September 11th and the closing of New York City's harbor. Diverted passengers were not included in the final 2001 figures.

More in this Section