JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Norwegian Gem sailed off on its maiden voyage from Jacksonville on Friday.
It’s the newest ship offering travelers excursions from the cruise ship terminal at JAXPORT.
Action News Jax’s Madison Foglio got to tour the ship before passengers boarded.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
The ‘Norwegian Gem’ made history as the first Norwegian Cruise Line ship to call Jacksonville its homeport.
City leaders gathered with the ship’s captain and Norwegian Cruise Line officials to celebrate the new partnership.
“Our cruise industry has never been stronger. And I’m already hearing that this is just the beginning,” said Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan.
This ship will sail to destinations like the Caribbean and the Bahamas, just to name a few. City leaders say it will allow Jacksonville to serve as a gateway to international destinations.
“We’re very accessible if you talk to other people about how they have to get onto a cruise, it becomes quite the event. Here in Jacksonville, it’s very easy,” said Mayor Deegan.
“20 years ago, you would not have called Jacksonville a cruise city with multiple cruise lines coming into Jacksonville. You can definitely call it a cruise city now,” said Michael Corrigan, President & CEO of Visit Jacksonville.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
JAXPORT is also the homeport for Carnival’s Elation cruise ship. A spokesperson for JAXPORT told me that both ships will never be at the port at the same time due to their size.
Visit Jacksonville President and CEO Michael Corrigan is very excited about what the ship’s addition could mean for city tourism.
“It introduces a whole new level of customers and visitors to Jacksonville that may have never thought about coming to our destination before,” said Corrigan.
The Norwegian Gem’s maiden voyage is scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday to the Bahamas. It will return to Jacksonville on Monday.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
