The report by the Cruise Lines Industry Association ranked Honolulu as the 10th biggest port for U.S. cruise embarkations. An estimated 318,000 people boarded cruise ships in Honolulu in 2006, or about 35 percent more than in 2005. The increase is consistent with NCL America's bringing more cruise ships to Hawai'i for interisland cruises.

The report said the North American cruise industry as a whole generated $17.6 billion in direct purchases of such items as food and beverage supplies, fuel, equipment, business services and vessel repair. Adding the indirect economic impacts, such as transportation services to deliver finished products to the cruise lines and utilities needed to run manufacturing equipment, the total economic impact generated by the cruise industry was $35.7 billion.