TravelPulse is on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America this week, cruising to four Hawaiian islands. Now in its 14th year, the inter-island roundtrip itinerary from Honolulu is unique to the line. And, this week was all about solidarity with the state.
You might call it a mutual Aloha society.
Norwegian president and CEO Andy Stuart joined the media at a small dinner onboard the ship last night. He spoke about the line’s long-time (and quite visionary) commitment to Hawaii. Norwegian is the only company with American-flagged ships here. That means they can avoid the provisions of the arcane Jones Act that would otherwise force them to include an international port in the itinerary.
Stuart was also the featured speaker at a private event today at the Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo. The event, entitled “Celebrating Hawaii,” included an array of cultural performances, such as traditional chants, hula, Hawaiian music and a navigational presentation. The setting on Hawaii Island (formerly known as The Big Island) was a strategic one. The island has seen a recent drop in visitor numbers, due to concerns over Kilauea volcano lava flow earlier this summer. The line halted stops on the island for a time during the increased period of eruptions.
At today’s event, officials thanked the line for working with them to bring the ships back as soon as it was safe to do so. They also stressed that the lava situation is back to normal, and there is no reason for visitors to stay away. To help encourage their efforts, Stuart announced a new Free at Sea offer of free or reduced airfare to Hawaii from 37 gateways nationwide as well as Vancouver, BC. The promotion begins on October 4.
“Our Pride of America sailings continue to be one of the most coveted itineraries we offer,” said Stuart. “We remain dedicated to this captivating destination which is why we are inspiring travelers with this latest free air promotion. We want to encourage vacationers to take a closer look at Pride of America, Hawaii and all this paradise state has to offer.”
Norwegian Cruise Line has certainly done well by the state. It brings over 111,000 passengers here yearly on an itinerary that is uniquely destination focused. Passengers spend nearly 100 hours in port, with two overnights during the week. Hawaii businesses benefit to the tune of some $436 million added to the state’s economy.
“We appreciate the continued commitment of Norwegian Cruise Line to showcase the island of Hawaii to its guests, especially considering the challenges in travel demand that Kilauea volcano’s latest lava flow created this past summer,” said Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau.
“With most of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park having reopened, visitors can now enjoy all that our majestic island has to offer. The air quality is clean and beautiful for all to enjoy, new nature-based experiences are available, and the weather will continue to be warm and welcoming throughout the fall and winter months.”
In addition to invited media, the line also invited 50 travel professionals to sail aboard Pride of America this week. Most of them are members of the President’s Club, representing the top 100 agencies for the line in terms of sales volume.
“We are so proud to continue supporting this incredible destination by investing in this effort,” said Camille Olivere, senior vice president of sales, Norwegian Cruise Line. “Our travel partners are very important to us as they will be instrumental in not only driving guests to Pride of America but additional tourism to this beautiful state.”
For many of the agents, this week was the first time they’d seen Pride of America since a refurbishment took place in 2016.
In fact, it was also Stuart’s first time on the ship since then.
“Everyone had other places they could have been this week. Thank you for being here. Help us to get the word out. Hawaii and especially, Hawaii Island, are open for business. This is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world,” said Stuart.
