BOSTON, 2016-Oct-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Today (October 11, 2016), Viking Ocean Cruises made its first ever call on a U.S. port when Viking Star docked at Cruiseport Boston. Viking Star began hervoyage in Montreal, travelled the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City and Saguenay, continued on to Prince Edward Island and Halifax and, following her stop in Boston, will continue on to New York City later in the week. Officials from Massport and Viking marked the occasion with a traditional plaque and key exchange on board Viking Star while docked at the Cruiseport.
“As Cruiseport Boston continues this exciting period of growth, we are thrilled to welcome Viking Ocean Cruises and to offer their passengers the opportunity to explore Boston and the Commonwealth,” said Lisa Wieland, Massport’s Port Director.
Viking Ocean Cruises is one of twenty-one cruise lines that will call Cruiseport Boston during the 2016 cruise season, which runs from late April through mid-November; with nine ships making their maiden call in Boston this season, including Disney Magic and Anthem of the Seas in addition to Viking Star.
“We have always had a vision to reinvent ocean cruising – to bring destinations back to the forefront of the itinerary and to build ships that are designed to help our guests better explore their destinations,” said Torstein Hagen, founder and chairman of Viking Cruises. “We launched our ocean cruises in Europe last year, and just as the Viking explorers before us, we are now pursuing new discoveries across the Atlantic. Our new itineraries in North America and the Caribbean offer travelers experiences that broaden their horizons both on and off the ship, and as such, we are proud to call on Boston for the first time.”
Known as the world’s leading river cruise line, in 2015, Viking launched its first ocean ship and has quickly amassed accolades, including recently being named the #1 Ocean Cruise line in Travel + Leisure’s 2016 World’s Best Awards. Classified by Cruise Critic as a “small ship,” Viking Star features understated elegance and modern Scandinavian design. Viking Star was also awarded with the cruise industry’s highest honors, including being named Best New Ocean Ship and scoring a 5-star rating by the editors of Cruise Critic, as well as receiving the highest rating in the mid-size ship category in Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2016.
In 2017, Boston will be visited by Viking Star’s two sister ships Viking Sea, launched in April 2016 and Viking Sky due to be launched in early 2017. Continuing the tradition, these ships will also be overnighting in Boston.
Cruiseport Boston opened in1986 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. Cruise operations at Massport provide over 950 direct jobs and generate nearly $80 million in economic impact each year and $25 million in annual local, state, and federal tax revenue.
The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) owns and operates Boston Logan International Airport, public terminals in the Port of Boston, Hanscom Field, and Worcester Regional Airport. Massport is a financially self-sustaining public authority whose premier transportation facilities generate more than $8 billion annually, and enhance and enable economic growth and vitality in New England. For more information please visit massport.com.
SOURCE: Massport
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