Four cruise ships, including JAXPORT’s regular home-ported ship ‘Carnival Ecstasy’ already in port, will dock at the port and remain there, as the industry announced a voluntary suspension of US cruise operations due to COVID-19 (coronavirus).
The additional three vessels not regularly home-ported at JAXPORT will arrive in Jacksonville with only crew members onboard, the port informed in a statement Sunday.
The ships will then lay idle due to berth capacity constraints at PortMiami, where all three vessels are regularly home-ported.
Idling at a port rather than at sea increases fuel efficiencies and provides easy access to necessary provisions for crew members and the ships,
…the JAXPORT statement explained.
The crew will remain on the vessels while the ships are in Jacksonville, unless the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) approve an exception.
Carnival Ecstasy arrived at JAXPORT as scheduled Sunday. Following passenger debarkation, the vessel and its crew will remain docked at the ship’s regular location at the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky is scheduled to arrive at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal Monday, while the company’s Norwegian Pearl is to dock at the port’s Dames Point Marine Terminal this week.
An additional vessel, Norwegian Gem, will dock at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal. The arrival date for that vessel is still being determined.
We are committed to doing our part to support our fellow Florida ports and our partners in the cruise industry during this time. We will continue to work closely with our federal, state, and local agencies to monitor the situation and adjust operations as needed,
…said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green.
