The Norwegian Gem has arrived in Jacksonville. | JaxPort
Published on October 31, 2025 at 12:22 pm
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Since 2004, Jacksonville has always had only one cruise line sailing from JaxPort: Carnival. That changed Friday with the arrival of the Norwegian Gem cruise ship.
The Gem sailed south from Boston down the East Coast and made it to JaxPort on Friday morning.
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The ship can hold 2,394 guests and a crew of almost 1,100 people.
The Norwegian Gem might seem familiar to cruise lovers in Jacksonville. It was one of the ships JaxPort accommodated during the temporary suspension of cruises at the onset of the pandemic.
It has been renovated in 2022 and includes a “world-class spa experience” with more than 50 available treatments, many dining options, a casino, a climbing wall, and — of course — swimming pools.
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The ship will take visitors from JaxPort to the Bahamas on four- and five-day cruises. The trips include a stop in Great Stirrup Cay, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.
But Norwegian also offers 11- and 12-day voyages to the Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, St. Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
The Jacksonville Port Authority board approved the addition of the cruise line in February 2024, so its arrival has been much-anticipated.
“Growing our cruise business with a company like Norwegian is another way we build on the diversification of business, which ultimately creates jobs,” JaxPort CEO Eric Green said when the addition was first approved. “Expanding our popular cruise program also provides passengers throughout the Southeast U.S. and beyond with even more reasons to choose Jacksonville for their next vacation.”
JaxPort says Jacksonville is a growing drive-to-cruise market, with more than 98 million consumers living within driving distance of the JaxPort Cruise Terminal.
