David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor David Ige and the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) today praised the decision of Norwegian Cruise Line to begin resuming port calls in Hilo and Kona on the island of Hawaii starting next week.

Going forward, Norwegian’s Pride of America cruise ship plans to port for the day in Hilo each Tuesday, starting June 12, and in Kona each Wednesday, starting June 13, as part of its regular cruise schedule in the Hawaiian Islands.

Governor Ige commented, “We are very grateful to Norwegian Cruise Line for reinstituting its port calls in Hilo and Kona. This is especially wonderful news for the small businesses in and around those communities that service the wishes of the ship’s guests as they venture out to experience the incredible beauty and fascinating attractions throughout the island of Hawaii.”

George D. Szigeti, HTA president and CEO, said, “Visitors who enjoy the Hawaii cruise experience will be thrilled knowing they can port in the island of Hawaii and see for themselves what makes the largest and most environmentally diverse of all the Hawaiian Islands so captivating. We thank Norwegian Cruise Line and appreciate the careful thought their executives put into making this decision, as this message to resume port calls in Hilo and Kona will be valued by potential travelers who are considering a trip to the Hawaiian Islands.”

Norwegian’s Pride of America cruise ship carries up to 2,500 passengers per week and is serviced by 900 crewmembers. Pride of America is home-ported in Honolulu and makes weekly cruise tours throughout the Hawaiian Islands, with port calls in Hilo and Kona on the island of Hawaii; Kahului, Maui; and Nawiliwili, Kauai.

Norwegian had temporarily halted port calls in Hilo and Kona starting the week of May 14 due to concerns about adverse conditions created by the ongoing eruptions of Kilauea volcano.

Kilauea has been an active volcano since 1983 and is one of Hawaii’s most popular attractions. Over the years residents and visitors have been drawn to the wonder of seeing nature at work in the creation of new land via tours or visits to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Most of the park is currently closed until further notice.

For the latest update on air quality in the Hawaiian Islands, please reference the State of Hawaii Interagency Vog Information Dashboard: https://www.ivhhn.org/vog/

For the latest tourism updates please visit the Special Alerts page of the Hawaii Tourism Authority: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/news/special-alert/

Travelers planning a trip to the Hawaiian Islands who have questions can contact the Hawaii Tourism United States Call Center at 1-800-GOHAWAII (1-800-464-2924).

About the Hawaii Tourism Authority
The Hawaii Tourism Authority is responsible for strategically managing the State of Hawaii’s marketing initiatives to support tourism. HTA’s goal is to optimize tourism’s benefits for Hawaii, while being attentive to the interests of travelers, the community and visitor industry. Established in 1998 to support Hawaii’s leading industry and largest employer, HTA continually strives to help ensure the sustainability of tourism’s success.

For more information about HTA, please visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org. Follow updates about HTA on Facebook, Twitter (@HawaiiHTA) and its YouTube Channel.

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Charlene Chan
Director of Communications
Hawaii Tourism Authority
808-973-2272 (o)
808-781-7733 (m)
[email protected]

Patrick Dugan
Senior Vice President
Anthology Marketing Group
808-539-3411 (o)
808-741-2712 (m)
[email protected]