By Dave Berman, from Florida Today

Norwegian Cruise Line extends Port Canaveral home port, port-of-call commitments

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Norwegian Cruise Line adds second year to its commitment to base its Spirit at Port Canaveral

The Spirit will sail alternating seven-day Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean itineraries

It will be the first Norwegian ship based here since the winter of 2011-12

Norwegian also has ships making port-of-call stops here, including the Gem and the Breakaway

Norwegian Cruise Line says it will extend its commitment to base its Norwegian Spirit cruise ship at Port Canaveral for an additional year.

The Spirit will sail alternating seven-day Western Caribbean and Eastern Caribbean itineraries leaving on Saturdays from Port Canaveral from December 2016 through April 2017.

The Western Caribbean itinerary’s ports of call will include Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

The Eastern Caribbean stops include Nassau, Bahamas; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Tortola, British Virgin Islands.

Norwegian in March announced that it would base the Spirit at Port Canaveral from November 2015 through April 2016. The latest announcement tacks on another year to that commitment.

The Spirit will be the first Norwegian ship based at Port Canaveral since the winter of 2011-12.

Separately, Norwegian said its New York-based Norwegian Gem will stop at Port Canaveral from April through August 2016 on seven- and eight-night cruises to the Bahamas that also will stop at Norwegian’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay, and at Nassau.

Vanessa Picariello, Norwegian’s director of public relations, said Port Canaveral is a popular port-of-call market for Norwegian, with its proximity to the Orlando-area theme parks, “great beaches and beautiful Florida weather.”

“It’s definitely a port of call our guests love,” Picariello said. “It’s a perfect stop for any cruise from New York.”

The larger Norwegian Breakaway, also based in New York, has been another port-of-call ship at Port Canaveral, and is likely to continue to do so in the future, Picariello said. That ship’s 2016-17 schedule has not yet been announced.

SHIP STATISTICS

To be based at Port Canaveral:

Norwegian Spirit: Entered service in 1998; double-occupancy capacity of 2,018

To make port-of-call stops at Port Canaveral:

Norwegian Breakaway: Entered service in 2013; double-occupancy capacity of 4,000

Norwegian Gem: Entered service in 2007; double-occupancy capacity of 2,394

IMAGE: Norwegian Spirit.jpeg (Photo: NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE PHOTO)

For more on this story go to: http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2015/01/05/norwegian-extends-commitment-port-canaveral/21299053/