Boston's cruise terminal is in the middle of a serious upgrade, and it now has new leadership to steer it. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) has named Charlie Cunnion as port director, putting him in charge of the agency's Maritime Division — which includes both the Conley container terminal and Flynn Cruiseport, the city's growing cruise hub.
Cunnion arrives with more than 25 years in global transportation and supply chain management. He started out at International Forest Products, rising to vice president of global transportation, and most recently served as vice president of supply chain and customer service at CMPC Forest Products North America, the joint venture he joined in 2024. Massport CEO Rich Davey praised his cargo-side expertise and said he'll be key to keeping the port's run of growth going.
For cruise travellers, the numbers behind the appointment are the real story. Flynn Cruiseport handled over 454,000 passengers and 149 ship calls in 2025, and demand keeps climbing. To keep up, Massport has committed more than $100 million to the terminal. The work includes a bigger waiting area with more seating and additional restrooms, a streamlined security check-in process, and a new escalator designed to smooth passenger flow between levels — small things that make embarkation and disembarkation days noticeably less painful.
There's a green angle too. Massport plans to bring ship-to-shore power to the cruise terminal by 2030, letting docked ships shut off their engines and plug into the grid instead. The port notes that nearly 80 percent of the ships currently serving Boston are already capable of plugging in or using alternative low-carbon technology, so the infrastructure push should translate into cleaner air around the terminal and harbour sooner rather than later.
Why should this matter to anyone booking a cruise? Boston has become an easy embarkation point for Canada and New England itineraries, and a port that's investing heavily in both capacity and sustainability is likely to handle crowds and turnaround days better than one standing still. If you're sailing from Flynn Cruiseport in the next few seasons, expect a terminal that's gradually less cramped and quicker to get through — and, by the end of the decade, one where your ship can idle quietly at the dock.
