Small ship cruise line adds another Jacksonville stop
Jacksonville Business Journal -
4:10 PM EDT Monday, July 9, 2007
A Rhode Island-based small ship cruise line will add a 12-night cruise along the East Coast that includes a stop in Jacksonville.
American Canadian Caribbean Line Inc. has been offering an East Coast cruise that stops in Fernandina Beach and ends in Jacksonville.
ACCL has now added a Philadelphia-to-Jacksonville cruise that will have stops in Baltimore; Charleston, S.C.; and Savannah, Ga., among others.
The 183-foot ship, which has 50 cabins and a capacity of 100 passengers, will dock on the Northbank Riverwalk in front of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. ACCL spokeswoman Maria Prezioso said people on the cruise tend to be retirees who like the smaller ships and tend to take more of an interest in the ports of call.
"Revenue-wise they're not going to come in and spend millions," she said. "But they will come in and appreciate the architecture and the museums and will buy souvenirs for their grandchildren."
That is the exact market this city should strive to entise to downtown. Those ships are perfect for navigating the river and clearing the bridges and their passengers will have direct access to downtown and nearby attractions.
Good news indeed. Hopefully they can be a success and help start a trend for more seeing the benefit in the Northbank serving as a niche for the cruise industry.