The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) announced today that Cruiseport Boston’s Black Falcon Cruise Terminal will undergo a $3 million upgrade to its passenger facilities. The project will brighten up the terminal’s overall appearance and enhance the cruise passenger experience.

“Cruiseport Boston strives to create a positive point of entry for those passengers taking a cruise or visiting Boston on a port of call,” said Thomas J. Kinton, Jr., Massport’s CEO & Executive Director. “The new enhancements will provide more aesthetically-pleasing and comfortable surroundings.”

Proposed project enhancements will replace and renovate existing finishes, and include painting the interior and exterior with a white on gray palette, vibrant accents, new ceilings, flooring and carpeting, and colorful super graphics that showcase Boston as a destination. Additional improvements include expansion of the mezzanine floor area for passenger check-in, new light fixtures, way finding signage, and the possible construction of additional public restrooms and a passenger elevator at the east end of the terminal.

“As the exclusive cruise line sailing from Boston to Bermuda for the next ten years, we are pleased to hear about the planned renovations,” said Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s executive vice president of global sales and passenger services. “Revitalizing the facilities at Cruiseport Boston will enrich the overall cruise experience of our guests embarking on one of our Freestyle Cruises vacations to Bermuda, along with our Canada & New England sailings.”

Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed by the end of the year. The project is expected to generate roughly 20-25 jobs.

Massport has worked hard over the past decade to build up the cruise business in Boston. A recent Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) economic impact study ranked Massachusetts eleventh of all states in direct spending by the cruise industry. Expenditures by the cruise lines, passengers, and crew members generated employment, income, and other economic benefits for the state. In 2007 the industry spent $407 million in Massachusetts, a 5% increase over 2006.

Sixteen major cruise lines are calling Cruiseport Boston in 2009. They are: AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean International, Saga Holidays, Silversea Cruises, and V-Ships. All serve Cruiseport Boston and provide passengers with an attractive mix of cruises to New England/Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Europe.

The Port of Boston’s vessel and cargo activity support 34,000 jobs, and contributes more than $2 billion to the local, regional, and national economies through direct, indirect, and induced impact.