Former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn, elected officials, and children from the South Boston community helped the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) celebrate the 30th anniversary of Cruiseport Boston today.
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 to come through the port on 114 ship calls this season, said the port authority in a prepared statement.
“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.”
Glynn went on to praise Mayor Flynn for his dedication to the preservation of the South Boston waterfront. Flynn, a native and longtime resident of South Boston, served as Mayor of Boston from 1984 until 1993 before being appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. In his younger days, Flynn and several family members were dock workers in South Boston. This past February, Mayor Walsh submitted a proposal to rename the Boston Marine Industrial Park the “Raymond L. Flynn Marine Park.”
On behalf of Mayor Marty Walsh, the City’s Chief of Economic Development named May 16th – 20th “Cruiseport Boston Week” and it is a special week for cruising in Boston. On Wednesday, the Disney Magic will call Boston for the first time as part of her 15-day journey from Florida to Dover, England. Disney Magic is 984 feet long, sports 11 decks, and carries 2,400 passengers. On Thursday, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas will also arrive for its inaugural call to Boston. The ship will be the largest ever to call Boston with 4,180 passengers and is one of the newest ships in Royal Caribbean International’s fleet.
At the event, Massport unveiled community art murals created by local children from the Laboure Center, South Boston Boys and Girls Club, South Boston Catholic Academy, South Boston Community Health Center and the South Boston Arts Association. The children worked under the leadership of South Boston artist Dan McCole. McCole is a watercolor painter, as well as the co-founder and president of the South Boston Arts Association.
