JaxPort widens cruise terminal site search to both west and east of Dames Point

[Mattius92]

Port Everglades is the home port for several Royal Carribean ships, including the Oasis of the Seas. However that doesnt account for all the "other" cruise lines. However personally Royal Caribbean beats all. Carnival is just bleh!

[Mattius92]

And personally due to that fact that the Dames was never built to the height it needed to be (20' higher). Jaxport is going to have to build an cruise terminal east of the bridge. And yes even if the bridge was 185' tall it still couldn't handle the largest of cruise ships. That's why we need a terminal east of the bridge.

[Jim]

Well doesn't Miami pretty much have a lock on the cruise ship industry. Maybe we should concentrate on the smaller ships. It sure was nice to see that ship docked DT during the SB.

Miami, Ft Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Port Canaveral, Tampa, Charleston and Jacksonville are all competing.    While Miami is large, it isn't the largest as that crown goes to Port Everglades.  The others aren't doing badly either though we are definitely the newest kid on the cruise port block.

Wrong, the Port of Miami is the largest and busiest, Port Everglades has the world's largest cruise liner as it's home port.

Then you might want to correct the Port Everglades and their web site.  They are claiming to be the largest.

Mattius...maybe east of the bridge would be better  :wink:

[thelakelander]

Hang on...condos were already proposed for the location but instead the land was sold to Jaxport and they are still searching for a viable location for the terminal?

What moron made the decision to buy the land with no certain intent on using for the intended purpose?  And worse still, Mayport is short a condo deal for it.

JAXPORT's plan was always to put a cruise terminal on the property.  If they don't, I guess they could just decide to turn Mayport's entire waterfront into another container terminal.  However, gantry cranes would really stand out in what's left of Mayport.

[reednavy]

Then you might want to correct the Port Everglades and their web site.  They are claiming to be the largest.

Mattius...maybe east of the bridge would be better  :wink:

They may have the largest cruise terminal, but they do not have the largest number of cruise passengers, which is the more important statistic. There is a very clear difference.

That is expected to change by next year though.

[Mattius92]

Well, I sit back and wonder what is wrong with the poeple of Mayport. However since most things in jacksonville turn out cheap and ugly, maybe I should side with the poeple of Mayport. However If Jaxport can really integrate the cruise terminal into the existing community, they should be happy. Because their existing town isn't very amazing as is, the cruise terminal could revitalize the place.

This reminds me of when the city was looking into reactivating Cecil. I lived out there and heard both the pros and cons of Cecil being reactivated. While most poeple on the west westside thought that pretty much the rest of the city didn't care, because heck they aren't effected. However it wasn't reactivated, but Mayport shouldn't be hurt from this.

[thelakelander]

I don't understand how Mayport can be hurt with the addition of a well integrated cruise terminal.  More people visiting the community would be beneficial in saving the ferry, revitalizing the commercial waterfront district and helping the shrimping industry.  It would seem like this is the gift horse to finally give this dying community the economic shot in the arm it desperately needs.

[Charles Hunter]

The problem with a site on the west side of Blount Island, the ships would still have to get under the JEA power lines that cross Blount Island - and they are the same height as the DP Bridge.

[Mattius92]

Thats why an tunnel was invented.

[Jim]

The problem with a site on the west side of Blount Island, the ships would still have to get under the JEA power lines that cross Blount Island - and they are the same height as the DP Bridge.

Good point.  Looks like the north side of Blount Island may still be the best location.  Certainly offers the most room for expansion while still accommodating the largest ships.

[mtraininjax]

Cruise ships, per Ferrin, are now 200 feet high, and have a small draft in the water. Container ships sit lower in the water, but stack the containers inside and are wider. Dames Point Bridge makes West of it a mistake, if you are going to spend 60 million for a facility, Ferrin's estimates, you want to accomidate 2 ships, per Ferrin again, to make sure that the revenue is coming in to service the debt. Nothing west of DPB will work, imo, ot allow for a 2nd ship.

Cruise ships are getting bigger and taller, if we don't service them, someone else will.

There is no room on Blount Island with the Marines expanding on their East Side. Port activity, Marines, cruise ship traffic, Blount can't take it all.

[Jim]

Looking at Google Earth, even if the Marines began using the eastern side to load/unload ships with, the channel is wide enough for even the biggest of cruise ships to easily slip by.

But if that's still a issue with them, other locations could be Pine Island on McKenna Drive or that narrow peninsula southwest of Mayport.

[thelakelander]

The problem with a site on the west side of Blount Island, the ships would still have to get under the JEA power lines that cross Blount Island - and they are the same height as the DP Bridge.

Good point.  Looks like the north side of Blount Island may still be the best location.  Certainly offers the most room for expansion while still accommodating the largest ships.

Except the location would be horrible for economic spinoff development.  Looking at successful terminals in Tampa and Norfolk, we'll get more bang for our buck by adding a terminal in a location that can actually stimulate business growth in the immediate surrounding area.  That basically takes you down to the Mayport area east of the bridge and the downtown area to the west.

[Jim]

I agree that would be most ideal.   We certainly feel little impact on the surrounding are with the current temp location.

But I can't help but wonder if Mayport WANTS the impact a cruise terminal would bring.  An odd notion to most of us but many there seem dead set against anything other than being as quaint and quiet as possible (ironic being next to a naval air field).

[Mattius92]

A few weeks back, this topic came up, and I decided to look for places other then Mayport an cruise terminal can go.

I think the southbank would be better then the northbank.