Cruise industry watching city’s success with larger ship

www.bizjournals.com -- (JACKSONVILLE) Carnival Cruise Lines’ launch of a newer and bigger ship from Jacksonville reflects the local industry’s growing potential to attract larger ships and more lines.

The industry leader’s move to replace the 1,486-passenger Celebration on Sept. 20 with the 2,052-passenger Fascination was spurred by the increased attractiveness of the area, which a third of the nation’s population can drive to within a day, said Tony Orsini, the Jacksonville Port Authority’s senior director of cruise operations.

Orsini said “the industry is watching” to see how the authority and Carnival will handle the Fascination’s expected annual 170,000 passengers, 38 percent more than the Celebration’s capacity. The economic impact of the new ship isn’t known, but a 2006 study completed by John C. Martin Associates LLC found that the smaller ship’s presence created 400 jobs and had a $40 million annual impact on Northeast Florida.

Pricier plane tickets, fewer available airline seats and the increased hassle of flying make the port more attractive to drive-in passengers. But for Jacksonville to fully tap its potential, it needs to build a new cruise terminal in Mayport Village. The Dames Point bridge and power lines over the St. Johns River limit the size of ships that can call on the terminal at Dames Point.