NCL offers air specials to drive sea traffic

Norwegian Cruise Line is offering a bodacious airfare promotion to help stimulate travel to islands in the aftermath of the Kilauea eruption.

NCL President and CEO Andy Stuart was in Hilo on Tuesday to announce NCL’s new “Free At Sea” offer, which begins Thursday and will provide passengers with free or reduced airfare from 37 airports nationwide as well as from Vancouver, Canada. Promotion details are available at ncl.com.

“Our Pride of America sailings continue to be one of the most coveted itineraries we offer,” Stuart said in a statement. “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.”

NCL’s Pride of America, which is the only U.S. flagged ship offering an interisland itinerary, brings roughly 111,000 travelers and adds close to $436 million to the state’s economy annually.

The new offer, which is timed to the Sept. 22 reopening of most of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, is expected to boost tourism momentum for the Hawaiian islands, especially for cruise ships, which have been down year to date.

Arrivals by cruise ships increased more than 12 percent to 126,225 visitors in 2017. But during the first eight months of the year, total cruise visitors to Hawaii decreased nearly 7 percent to 150,092, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority statistics. Through August, 38 cruise ships sailed in Hawaii as compared to 43 during the same period in 2017.

Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau, said in a statement, “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.”

Hawaii tourism took a hit from cancellations and a drop-off in bookings following the eruption that began May 3, causing lava to spill through neighborhoods. It also kicked up seismic activity and earthquakes, which forced the closure of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii’s No. 1 tourist activity.

“With most of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park having reopened, visitors can now enjoy all that our majestic island has to offer,” Birch said. “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.”

NCL also is working on boosting its appeal with travel sellers. The company is taking 50 travel professionals aboard Pride of America this week to participate in itineraries designed to showcase the grandeur and uniqueness of each island.

Camille Olivere, senior vice president of sales, Norwegian Cruise Line, said in a statement, “We are so proud to continue supporting this incredible destination by investing in this effort. 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.”

ON THE MOVE

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii has promoted Shannon Young to director of Clinic Operations. She was previously a supervisor for Kaiser Permanente’s diabetes program. Young will oversee operations for its Leeward and Windward facilities as well as oversee programs such as health education and patient support services.

Starn O’Toole Marcus & Fisher law firm has hired Robert J. Brown as a litigation associate. He will focus his practice in civil litigation. Prior to joining the law firm, Brown was a deputy prosecuting attorney for the City & County of Honolulu.

Cadinha & Co. LLC, a Honolulu-based registered investment management firm, has promoted Arthur Mallet to executive vice president. He will oversee operations and spearhead initiatives as directed by management. Mallet previously was managing director at Cadinha & Co. where he spearheaded the information technology program.