JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville’s cruise industry doubled in size Friday morning as the Norwegian Gem made its debut as the city’s newest resident ship, marking a historic expansion for JaxPort and local tourism.
The 965-foot vessel joins Carnival as only the second cruise ship to call Jacksonville home since 2004, bringing with it promises of economic growth and expanded travel options for area residents.
“This is wonderful. Obviously, we want to grow Jacksonville as a tourist destination,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said during the ship’s inaugural celebration. “When I got on the ship, I said, ‘Man, I might just stow away someplace.’ It looks like such a fun time. I mean, it’s a gorgeous ship.”
The ship can hold 2,394 guests and a crew of almost 1,100 people.
It was renovated in 2022 and includes a “world-class spa experience” with more than 50 available treatments, many dining options, a casino, a theatre, a climbing wall, and -- of course -- swimming pools.
The ship will take visitors from JaxPort to the Bahamas on four-day and five-day cruises. The trips include a stop in Great Stirrup Cay, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.
But Norwegian also offers longer 11- and 12-day voyages to the Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Visit Jacksonville President and CEO Michael Corrigan emphasized the significant economic potential the new cruise ship brings to the region.
“It’s super exciting. I mean, to step on this vessel and realize it’s real, Norwegian Cruise Lines is in Jacksonville, Florida. We’re super excited about it. It’s a whole new level of cruising that we haven’t had,” Corrigan said.
The addition is expected to boost local tourism spending, as passengers will begin and end their journeys in Jacksonville.
“They’re not leaving town and spending money in another community. They’re spending money here in their hometown,” Corrigan noted.
Jacksonville currently welcomes approximately 10 million visitors annually, according to Deegan, who sees the Norwegian Gem as just the beginning of expanded cruise operations in the city.
“We have a beautiful city, and that all helps our economy, helps our jobs, helps everything. So we want to become that destination,” Deegan said.
The Jacksonville Port Authority board approved the addition of the cruise line in February 2024, so its arrival has been much-anticipated.
“Growing our cruise business with a company like Norwegian is another way we build on the diversification of business, which ultimately creates jobs,” JaxPort CEO Eric Green said when the addition was first approved. “Expanding our popular cruise program also provides passengers throughout the Southeast U.S. and beyond with even more reasons to choose Jacksonville for their next vacation.”
JaxPort says Jacksonville is a growing drive-to-cruise market, with more than 98 million consumers living within driving distance of the JaxPort Cruise Terminal.
Norwegian Cruise Line officials have indicated plans for future expansion in Jacksonville.
“We see this as the very beginning, and we’re going to bring more ships here. This is just the start of something great,” Deegan shared from her conversations with cruise line directors.
The Norwegian Gem’s first cruise departs at 4 p.m. Friday, taking passengers to the Bahamas for a weekend voyage, with a scheduled return to Jacksonville on Monday morning.