FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM From left, Utah residents Brianna Page, Raenell Larson, Mindy Page and Meisha Page were ready to board the Norwegian Star yesterday on its first cruise around the Hawaiian Islands.

Bookings strong for
new isle cruise ship

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Associated Press

HONOLULU >> Boasting more than 90 percent bookings over the next three months, the giant Norwegian Star cruise ship began the first of weekly cruises of the Hawaiian Islands yesterday.

Owners say the new ship, to be joined in Hawaii next year by a second Norwegian Cruise Lines vessel, will inject $90 million a year into the state's economy.

In addition to cabins for more than 2,000 passengers, the Norwegian-owned ship features 10 restaurants, a theater that holds more than 1,000 people, and two three-bedroom Garden Villas that can each accommodate three couples.

The Norwegian Star visits Maui, Kauai and the Kona side of the Big Island. The second ship, the Norwegian Wind, also will include Hilo on its 10- and 11-day cruise schedules.

The addition of the Norwegian line to Hawaiian waters injects new life into the local cruise ship industry and the dozens of local companies that supply it.

The number of cruise ships making port calls in Hawaii has grown from 36 in 1990 to 237 this year and a projected 638 by 2004, Hansen said.

Colin Veitch, head of Norwegian Cruise Lines, said aboard the Norwegian Star before its maiden Hawaii cruise yesterday that while the line has had to cut cruise prices in the Caribbean and Europe, its new Hawaii market remains strong.