Norwegian Cruise Line and Port Canaveral have closed a two-year deal that will regularly bring three of the cruise line’s ships to Port Canaveral.
The deal includes a minimum of 45 home-port sailings from where guests embark on the three ships in question, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Getaway, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Prima.
The new deal signifies a considerable increase in the number of sailings that Norwegian Cruise Line performs from Port Canaveral. Currently, the company uses the port around 23 times a year as a homeport.
Deal Between NCL and Port Canaveral
According to a report by FloridaTodayNorwegian Cruise Line and Port Canaveral have agreed on a two-year operating contract that will bring three of the cruise line’s ships, Norwegian EscapeNorwegian Getaway, and Norwegian Prima to Port Canaveral a minimum of 45 times.
The agreement states that the cruise line will use the port as a homeport during those calls and includes port calls by other ships in the company’s line-up and ships from affiliate cruise lines such as Regent Seven Seas and Oceania.
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The agreement also includes a minimum payment from Norwegian Cruise Line to Port Canaveral of $3,375,000 in the first year and $3,499,425 in the second year, under passenger use charges.
Regarding the deal with Norwegian, Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray said: “This new agreement is testament to the confidence Norwegian Cruise Line has in Port Canaveral. With great partners like Norwegian, the port continues to grow and invest in our future for the benefit of our port community.”
The new agreement nearly doubles the number of home port calls Norwegian Cruise Line makes to Port Canaveral yearly; the prior agreement only included 23 calls.
The plans fit into the expansion of ships that Norwegian Cruise Line has initiated. Over the following years, the company plans to launch six new cruise ships through 2027, including the two currently under construction, Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva.
Norwegian Cruise Line will station three ships in Port Canaveral; these include the 142,500 gross tons of Norwegian Prima, the 145,655 gross tons Norwegian Getawayand the 164,998 gross tons of Norwegian Escape.
Norwegian Getaway Returns To Port Canaveral
Late last month, Norwegian Getaway started operations in Port Canaveral after Norwegian Cruise Line canceled the vessel’s itinerary in Northern Europe and Russia due to the conflict in Ukraine.
Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray: “For a last-minute addition to the port, the ship is sailing very, very strong on passenger counts,” operating at nearly 100% of its double-capacity occupancy. So we’re really glad to have the ship back, and it looks like a successful summer for Norwegian Cruise Line.”
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With several companies choosing to sail from Port Canaveral as a favored port, the port’s financial situation, which took a hit during the COVID pandemic, has been seeing better times.
Revenue from cruise ships and passenger parking was $59.89 million for the first eight months, about $3.97 million over the projected budget. This is mainly due to the higher occupancy rates, averaging 90% but in some cases higher than 100%. Another contributing factor is the arrival of ships such as Mardi Gras and Disney Wish.
Adding the three Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ships to the Port Canaveral roster will benefit Norwegian Cruise Line, as Port Canaveral is a popular port for cruisers.
Port Canaveral will also benefit, with an increased number of ships pushing revenue much higher and increasing the likelihood of an early recovery from the financial hits of the COVID pandemic.
