Partial quote:
"...It looks like the Port of Jacksonville’s major rival wants to raise the stakes by giving the city some competition when it comes to the cruise businesses."
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/trade_trucks_trains/2011/03/savannah-steps-up-for-crusie-ships.html
Expert at falling behind, Jacksonville looks to be getting smoked by Savannah's push for a new cruise terminal. Savannah's a major tourist destination and 100 miles closer to Atlanta than Jacksonville anyway; Port Canaveral and Tampa certainly won't give up business from Central Florida to a Jacksonville cruise terminal.
And, looking at Jacksonville without comparing it to other cities, our city is plagued by incompetence and failure and things might actually be getting worse. Who wants to come through Jacksonville on their way to a cruise? How much potential would a new cruise terminal truly have here? Should we think small, very small on this one and focus on other things?
I went on a cruise out of Jax in November and the people I spoke to who had stayed the night in town before going on the boat had all stayed at the beach. We need the terminal at Mayport.
I want to want it. It's encouraging to hear that. I wonder where they were from.
One group was from Houston and one was a large family group from Oklahoma and Arkansas.
I never would have predicted that kind of reach. I hope whatever sparks that kind of interest can be drawn out in studies and targeted intelligently.
A government built cruise terminal may not be a good deal. Would there be enough of an increase in economic activity because of it to justify the expense?
I am not sure UL. Could there be other uses for the basic facilities? I did like already being in town when I came home from the cruise. So it does add a small something for the QOL of being here but that doesn't help the economics much.
I went on a criuise out of Jacksonville and met some people that traveled from Canada and another couple on vacation from the UK. Way to go Mayport residents.
My wife is on one now and besides the 4 other local people from Jacksonville, 3 others are from Atlanta. I have been on the ships with people from South Carolina who drive down and come to our beaches and cheap living. We are easy to get to with a 6-lane I-95 through Ga and FL for the most part and it is darn inexpensive to stay in Jax, at the beach or anywhere compared to the Evil Mouse or Miami or Tampa.
Too bad for Mobile. But nice to see the positive description of Jacksonville officials staying ahead of the game.
_________________________________________________________
Mobile's Cruise Crisis
Carnival says it warned the city
Updated: Thursday, 31 Mar 2011, 9:57 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 31 Mar 2011, 8:56 PM CDT
Bob Grip
MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - When Carnival Cruise Lines announced it was leaving the Port of Mobile, it sounded like a big surprise. After all, we heard the ships were always full.
But, after some digging, I discovered there were warning signs that showed things weren't all smooth sailing between the City and Carnival.
When it comes to passenger cruise service out of Mobile, Carnival is ready to sail into the sunset. When the announcement came, city leaders, like Mobile Mayor Sam Jones said they were shocked. On March 10, Jones told Fox 10 News, "It really was a devastating announcement to us because we had not had any prior discussion about this they said they had been looking at repositioning ships for some time and they made the decision and decided to announce it."
But maybe it shouldn't have come as a shock. When I asked to see the city's contract with Carnival, it became clear that the agreement ended last November.
As a contrast, I learned by talking with officials from another port city, Jacksonville, Florida that they started negotiating a new deal with Carnival, months before their current contract ( part 1 , part 2 , part 3 , part 4 ) was due to expire. I asked who was responsible for Mobile's negotiations with Carnival, but did not receive an answer.
Carnival officials told me they warned Mobile officials that Carnival couldn't continue to sail from Mobile with full ships but discounted fares.
Carnival's Senior Vice President of Revenue Management and Itinerary Planning, Terry Thornton said, "In all truthfulness, we have had discussions with the port people... we have told them on many different times...that ticket prices were not where we'd like them to be. You know, people sometimes selectively hear what they want to hear."
What's worse, Carnival found that cheap fares weren't enough to draw cruise customers to Mobile. Thornton said, "The people from the same areas that were going on our Mobile cruises, were paying more for cruises out of other homeports than they were prepared to pay out of Mobile."
One part of Mobile's contract with Carnival required the city to pay for and install a new gangway and provide additional parking for the new larger cruise ship that came to Mobile. The contract with Carnival states, "Carnival shall have no responsibility or obligation to maintain the Terminal..."
By the time Carnival leaves, the city will still owe $26 million for the cruise terminal, with no cruise ship to help pay for it.
Officials with the cruise line have already told Fox 10 News, they see no reason to return to Mobile in the future.
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/mobile_county/mobile%27s-cruise-crisis#viewSingle115256425
My wife and I went last month and we met couples from Canada, New Mexico, Tennessee. All came to Jacksonville just for the cruise. Alot of them said something about the current cruise terminal having nothing around it.
And talking to the cruise workers, alot of them were dying to get off the boat and go to stores and restaurants in Jacksonville but they can't because there is nothing next to the terminal.
I hope we don't screw this up and lose Carnival.
QuoteExpert at falling behind, Jacksonville looks to be getting smoked by Savannah's push for a new cruise terminal.
Savannah is a compelling option, TO REPLACE MOBILE.
Anyone who has not seen Mayport, go see it because once we build the new Cruise Terminal there, it will have changed. All in the name of Progress!
Right now, there's vey little left of Mayport's waterfront. I know a few are scared of change, but Mayport (and Jax) could really use an economic shot in the arm and a well planned cruise terminal could do just that.
Mayport needs to be reinvented it is a mess right now.
Was out at Mayport last night. It's a mess. The cruise terminal could only do good.