NCL resuming weekly overnight calls to Kahului
Norwegian Cruise Line, which temporarily pulled out of Maui after the wildfires, is returning to Kahului.
David J. Herrera, president of NCL, said in a statement, “When we heard of the tragic wildfires, we were quick to mobilize our network to support local recovery efforts in Maui. We temporarily adjusted our itineraries to avoid stressing the destination further, we donated $50,000 to Maui United Way, and together alongside our partners have collected and will be donating over $150,000 in supplies such as food, clothing and mattresses.”
NCL’s Pride of America, which has an 18-year history of cruising the Hawaiian Islands year-round, will begin making weekly overnight calls to Kahului again on Sunday.
Gov. Josh Green said in a statement, “We appreciate the continued partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line, and the support it has recently provided to aid the recovery of the residents of Lahaina. While travel to West Maui is restricted to returning residents and emergency responders, we are working with our tourism partners, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, and encouraging them to make a steady return to other areas of the island and throughout the rest of the state.”
Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana, chief brand officer of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, said travelers and visitor industry companies such as NCL are encouraged to “make a responsible return to (Maui), visiting the many areas that were not impacted by the fires and are welcoming travelers back.”