by Rick Winterson
The Grand-cruise class ship, the Crown Princess, which is just over 900 feet long and can transport more than 3,000 passengers along with a crew of 1,200, docked at the Reserved Channel’s Black Falcon Terminal in Flynn Marine Park last weekend (OCT 14-15). This view of the Crown Princess is from the small, unnamed park area across the Reserved Channel from the Black Falcon, and next to the Summer Street Bridge. This follows upon the prior weekend (OCT 07-08), when three cruise ships were docked at the Terminal.
As evidence of the Boston area’s popularity, were you aware that there have been times during October when absolutely no (yes, NONE!) rental cars were available around here? Part of the reason was the onset of the Leaf Peeping Season north of here. The other part of the reason is the popularity of Boston as a port of call for passenger liners. When 3,000 tourists arrive in Boston looking for transportation, you can bet that our transport systems will become stretched to the breaking point.
But tourists are welcome here. Hospitality in all its forms (including tourism), along with finance, medicine, education, and high-tech, is among the City of Boston’s key industries. So the next time you get the chance, take a tourist out to lunch – here in South Boston, of course.
