A new cruise ship would set sail from Jacksonville beginning in November 2025 under an agreement that the Jacksonville Port Authority board will consider during a special meeting Feb. 6.
With the board’s approval, Norwegian Cruise Line would offer seasonal cruises from Jacksonville to the Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean aboard the Norwegian Gem. The cruise ship, which holds 2,394 guests, would sail from Jacksonville from November to April through 2028.
The special meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Norwegian Gem has visited Jacksonville before. The port accommodated the ship during the temporary suspension of cruises during the coronavirus pandemic.
Carnival Cruise Lines’ Elation is currently the only ship providing cruise tours from JaxPort’s Cruise Terminal. The Elation holds about 2,400 passengers.
Carnival offers four- and five-day Caribbean cruises year-round from Jacksonville, according to JaxPort’s website.
At the board’s Jan. 22 meeting, JaxPort CEO Eric Green told the board that a second cruise line – which he didn’t name at the time – had hoped for board approval that day on an agreement to operate from the cruise terminal. Documents could not be completed in time for the meeting, he said.
Board Chair Daniel Bean agreed to call a special meeting when the agreement was fully prepared.