by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Just by leaving from Jacksonville, cruise ships added an estimated $36 million to the local economy. Now some of those ships are heading toward Jacksonville, giving the City a taste of the tourism dollars generated by the cruise industry.
Cruise ships haven’t listed Jacksonville as an itinerary stop for five years, but that dry run ended in March when Swan Hellenic Cruises’ Minerva II docked at Jaxport’s cruise terminal. The ship unloaded hundreds of passengers onto shuttles heading for area parks, museums and golf courses, said Jaxport spokesperson Robert Peek.
Peek said the facilities built by Jaxport to accommodate outgoing cruises helped land the port-of-call business. Holland America is scheduled to bring its Maasdam ship to Jacksonville later this month for a day-long visit. Peek said the port and the Jacksonville & the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau were working to attract more incoming cruises.
“When we built the terminal and the facilities, it gave us the opportunity to capture some port-of-call visits,” said Peek. “We’d like to cultivate more of the business. When we talk to cruise lines, we tell them we have the facilities to handle port-of-call business.”
Jaxport spent $5.5 million to build the 63,000 square-foot terminal and was rewarded with commitments from Carnival and Celebrity cruise lines to sail three boats from Jacksonville.
A Northeast Florida Regional Council study estimated more than 150,000 passengers would sail from Jacksonville, generating more than $36 million for the local economy. Most of those passengers were heading for locales in the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and San Juan, among others.
Peek said Jacksonville didn’t have to compete with those exotic destinations. As a port-of-call, Peek said Jacksonville was more likely to compete with Savannah and Charleston. He said Jacksonville had a competitive advantage in the diversity of its attractions.
Golf courses, museums, beaches and premier vacation spots like St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach were all within easy commuting distance of Dames Point, he said. The CVB is working with local tour operators to offer shuttles to area attractions.
Peek said the port-of-call business brought in some revenue for the port on days when the cruise terminal is vacant. However, he said the larger impact would be felt in the local economy if the business grows.
“Candidly, we don’t generate that much income from port-of-call business,” said Peek. “The biggest importance is it’s good for businesses in the community and our mission is to be an economic engine for Jacksonville.”