By
Rebecca Gibson |
The Port of Houston Authority will join with both Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines to provide new services from the Bayport Cruise Terminal, which was completed in 2011.
The agreement between the Port Authority and the two cruise lines is expected to have a substantial impact on the economy of Harris County, the greater Houston area and the cities of Houston and Pasadena. Smaller cities near the cruise terminal will also benefit, with the new contracts expected to generate US$200 million in the region over the next four years. It is also predicted that the new calls will create around 100 new jobs.
“We are ecstatic that these two premier cruise lines have chosen to sail from our state-of-the-art cruise facility at Bayport in Pasadena, Texas,” said Jim Edmonds, chairman of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. “Securing this cruise business helps fulfil our commitment by building the cruise terminal to spur job creation and economic development for the entire greater Houston and Pasadena region.”
Princess Cruises is scheduled to begin service in November 2013 and will make a total of 27 departures from the Bayport Cruise Terminal during the 2013-2014 cruise season. The line’s Caribbean Princess will embark on its inaugural cruise from 5-9 November 2013 and will support US veterans by raising approximately US$1 million for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) and Operation Homefront.
Norwegian Cruise Lines, which last sailed from Houston in 2007, has entered a three-year agreement with the Port Authority,with an option to extend the contract by two years. The cruise line is scheduled to begin service in 2014, when Norwegian Jewel will provide seven-day Western Caribbean cruises for around 2,374 passengers.