Clues are starting to floor that Jacksonville, Florida might quickly be the homeport for an additional cruise line, along with the common sailings supplied by Carnival Cruise Line.
Between port authority board assembly studies and cruise line web site updates, Norwegian Cruise Line seems to be planning to set sail from the First Coast.
Norwegian Cruise Line Could Supply Sailings From Jacksonville
Norwegian Cruise Line might quickly supply homeport departures from JaxPort in Jacksonville, Florida, in keeping with varied clues and teasers concerning the port.
In accordance with the Florida Occasions-Union, on the port authority’s board assembly on Monday, January 22, 2024, JaxPort CEO Eric Inexperienced hinted a couple of new cruise line expressing curiosity in JaxPort, however wouldn’t verify which cruise line – aside from it isn’t an enlargement of Carnival Cruise Line’s operations.
“Our staff has been busy on this space and we hope to have an announcement to share within the coming weeks,” Inexperienced mentioned on the board assembly. “That is an added service coming from one other cruise line.”
Further time is required for the cruise line to get approval for service, as a number of paperwork and proposals have to be correctly filed earlier than an official announcement may be made. No further assembly date has but been set.
“We weren’t in a position to get it achieved for this assembly, however we’ll have a particular board assembly within the subsequent week or two so we will get that piece of enterprise achieved as nicely,” mentioned Daniel Bean, board Chairman.
Jacksonville Seems on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Web site
Whereas no officers from JaxPort have verified that it’s Norwegian Cruise Line expressing curiosity, a new touchdown web page has been noticed on the cruise line’s web site with cruises from Jacksonville, Florida listed as “Coming Quickly!”
At the moment, there are not any energetic homeport departures for Norwegian Cruise Line ships from the north Florida homeport, which is 165 miles (265 kilometers) north of the following closest Florida homeport, Port Canaveral.
The cruise line has made no official bulletins about what ships may be homeported from Jacksonville, nor what itineraries may be supplied. The Dames Level Bridge in Jacksonville, nevertheless, does pose a restrict on vessels departing from JaxPort, as they have to be lower than 180 toes from the waterline to the very best level as a way to sail safely below the bridge.
At the moment, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Elation is the one ship homeported from Jacksonville. The 71,909-gross-ton, Fantasy-class vessel is likely one of the smallest within the Carnival fleet, and presents 4- and 5-night sailings to the Bahamas year-round. Carnival has been crusing from Jacksonville since 2004.
A number of American Cruise Traces’ river boats additionally sail from Jacksonville with journeys alongside Florida’s rivers, however no different ocean cruise line presents Jacksonville-based itineraries. Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Crystal Cruises sometimes go to Jacksonville as a port of name.
It’s doable that Norwegian Cruise Line may additionally supply Bahamas itineraries from Jacksonville, or would possibly go for itineraries to Bermuda or different Caribbean locations, relying on the crusing size. Jacksonville may be a place to begin for fall foliage cruises that enterprise north to New England and the Canadian maritime provinces.
As cruise itineraries are deliberate out years upfront when they’re made out there for reserving, it’s unlikely that any Norwegian ships could be crusing from Jacksonville a minimum of till late 2025, however redeployments and schedule shifts are at all times doable.
