Cruise: Jacksonville, Vancouver (BC)

 

Carnival Cruise Line’s 2,056-passenger capacity Carnival Ecstasy will launch year-round four- and five-day cruises from the Port of Jacksonville, beginning in May 2019.

 

In so doing, it will replace Carnival Elation, which will reposition to Port Canaveral that same month.

 

Carnival is the only cruise operator offering year-round departures from Jacksonville, carrying approximately 170,000 passengers a year.  

 

The voyages include day-long visits to tropical destinations throughout The Bahamas, including Freeport, Nassau, Half Moon Cay and the private destination of Princess Cays.

 

"With its convenient and centralized location, Jacksonville has been a popular homeport for Carnival for more than a decade and Carnival Ecstasy is a wonderful addition to this market while providing a fresh new option on these attractive, value-packed four- and five-day Bahamas cruises," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.

 

Earlier this year, Carnival Ecstasy underwent an extensive multi-million-dollar renovation that added popular features like Guy’s Burger Joint developed in tandem with Food Network star Guy Fieri, the cocktail pharmacy-themed Alchemy Bar, the BlueIguana Cantina featuring authentic Mexican fare and the Cherry on Top boutique offering bulk candies, fanciful gifts, apparel and more.

 

"We are certainly pleased with Carnival’s continued support for our strong cruise business and look forward to welcoming Ecstasy to JAXPORT in 2019," said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green.

 

 

The 2017 cruise season at the Port of Vancouver (BC) concluded with the sailing of Star Princess from Canada Place terminal on December 16.

 

During the season, which opened April 18 with the docking of the same vessel, Vancouver welcomed almost 843,000 cruise passengers on 236 vessel visits, up from 827,959 passengers and 228 visits in 2016.  Based on passenger numbers, it was the port’s strongest cruise season since 2009.

 

"As a top global destination, Vancouver continues to attract a wide spectrum of cruise lines and passengers from around the world and has increasingly become the homeport of choice for Alaska-bound cruises," said Peter Xotta, vice president of planning and operations at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority.

 

The Star Princess, which homeported in Vancouver during the Alaska season, called Canada Place 17 times this year.  It departed Vancouver heading for Los Angeles, ending one of the longest Vancouver cruise seasons on record. Princess Cruises welcomed more than 200,000 passengers aboard its ships at Canada Place in 2017.

 

According to the port authority, each cruise ship brings an average of C$3 million to the local economy. The 2016 cruise season generated 12,000 jobs, C$549 million in total wages, and contributed C $840 million to national GDP demonstrating the significant impact generated by the Vancouver cruise business.

 

That contribution includes work such as the upgrades made to Star Princess by Seaspan Shipyards before the ship repositioned to its winter market. Through to 2020, the company has booked several cruise vessels which will provide employment opportunities for Canadian tradespeople and ship repair professionals at its Victoria Shipyards.

 

Drydock contracts generate direct spending and job creation. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) 2016 Economic Impact Report, cruise lines spent a combined $54 million on vessel maintenance and equipment at British Columbia shipyards and equipment manufacturers in 2016.

 

The 2018 cruise ship season kicks off on Tuesday, April 10. Click here to view the complete 2018 Cruise Schedule.