Pride of America to resume Hawaii cruises in November

Norwegian Cruise Line announced Wednesday that it plans to relaunch its seven­-day Hawaii cruises aboard the Honolulu-based Pride of America starting Nov. 6.

The announcement may signal the return of a key slice of Hawaii’s tourism industry, one that produced more than $490 million in spending in 2019.

However, the company did say that its voyages are contingent on obtaining a conditional sailing certificate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In a news release, the Florida-­based cruise line announced the resumption of operations from a handful of U.S. and international ports this fall and said further redeployments will be announced soon.

The Pride of America, the only cruise ship that operates solely in Hawaiian waters, has been inactive since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The cruise industry was hit early and hard by the virus, leaving hundreds of ships idle in ports around the world. The industry is said to have suffered losses in the billions.

But with the pandemic showing signs of waning, NCL has been working to pull up anchor. On Wednesday it announcing an array of cruising options including sailings planned from Miami, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles and Honolulu.

It’s unclear how close the company is to obtaining the conditional sailing certificate it needs from the CDC to relaunch the year-round, seven-day cruises to all of the major Hawaiian islands.

NCL couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday but late last month a spokesperson provided this emailed response to a similar question:

“Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is currently actively engaging in further discussions with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with a shared goal of cruising from U.S. ports this summer and is encouraged by the ongoing constructive dialogue that resulted in recent meaningful modifications to previously issued technical guidelines and the incorporation of vaccines.”

In its news release Wednesday, Harry Sommer, NCL president and chief executive officer, said, “I am so happy that we’re finally getting back to what we love the most, and I’m very proud that we continue to redeploy our fleet methodically. We always said we wouldn’t rush to sail again, but that we’d get back to it when we felt we could do so safely.”

The company said its operations would start up “slow and steady” and be guided by science-backed protocols.

Hawaii tourism officials said they would welcome back the cruises with open arms.

“The cruise industry represents a small piece of the overall tourism industry in Hawaii, however, it’s important because it provides our visitors with an alternate and diverse way to visit our islands,” said Pattie Herman, Hawaii Tourism Authority vice president of marketing and product development.

“Most importantly, the cruise business provides economic growth all across the Hawaiian Islands. Also, historically, most of the cruise ships come during the shoulder seasons, which supports our businesses during off-peak travel times,” Herman said.

Total spending by all cruise visitors — including those who arrived by cruise ships and those who arrived by air to board the Pride of America — rose 2.9% to $490.1 million in 2019, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority figures.

Toni Marie Davis, executive director of Activities &Attractions Association of Hawaii Inc., said many of her group’s members will be happy to see the cruise ships returning.

“It’s a huge business, especially by those who operate by the ports,” she said. “There’s a whole industry focused on shore trips for passengers.”

Quentin Koch, president of Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours, said his company flies lots of Pride of America passengers on several different islands in a normal year. It’s a quick and easy way for passengers with limited time to see an island, he said.

“They’re a great partner and we’re looking forward to their return,” Koch said of NCL.

Maggie Brown, president of Body Glove Cruises in Kona, said that while her company welcomes the Pride of America’s relaunch, she remained a bit leery about the actual start date.

“It keeps getting stalled,” she said. “First it was May, then it was June. Now it’s November.”