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Released: 7/12/2007
DRPA Announces Successful 2007 Season With Norwegian Cruise Line; Royal Caribbean Summer Season Set To Begin
Norwegian Cruise Line Ends 2007 Sailings with Full Capacity Officials at the Port of Philadelphia and Camden announced that Norwegian Cruise Line's 2007 cruise season from the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal was extremely successful. The line's 34,000-ton, 1,104-passenger Norwegian Crown made seven sailings from the port between May 5 and June 17, mainly with sold-out capacity. On July 28, the Port welcomes back Royal Caribbean and its Empress of the Seas for 13 sailings to Bermuda. The Empress of the Seas will sail to St. George and Hamilton through October 20, 2007. “Based on the success of NCL's 2007 season and the strong pre-bookings for Royal Caribbean's Empress of the Seas, we are extremely optimistic about the season as a whole,” said Kate McNamara, Director of the Port of Philadelphia and Camden. “In exit surveys, passengers have been extremely positive, enjoying the ship, the itineraries, and the embarkation and disembarkation experience. We feel that each year that we service the cruise lines we better perfect our terminal systems and procedures.” In addition to offering passengers an enhanced experience at the terminal, the Port of Philadelphia and Camden is again partnering with both cruise lines to offer special pre- and post-cruise packages. Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were able to take advantage of the FreeStyle Philly package; and Royal Caribbean passengers can take advantage of the CruisePhilly First package. Both packages include: -Overnight accommodations at participating area hotels; -Discounts at many area restaurants, attractions and shops; -Access to special tickets for “Once Upon A Nation” and after-hours walking tours, a Tippler's Tour to some of the historic pubs around the city, “The Road to Valley Forge: Secrets and Spies,” Colonial Kids' Quest and “1776 The Movie Musical,” as well as other special tours and events. This season, passengers can also take advantage of the spectacular King Tut exhibit, which will be on display only at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Through September 30, cruise passengers can view the more than 130 Egyptian artifacts on display plus partake in a city-wide celebration with special Tut activities and events. For more information about the Tut exhibit, visit www.gophila.org or contact a travel agent. “We are thrilled that both Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean chose to return to Philadelphia this season,” said John J. Matheussen, CEO of the DRPA, the parent agency of the Port of Philadelphia and Camden. “Based on the success of this season, Norwegian Cruise Line has already committed to returning in 2008, bringing a larger and newer ship, the Norwegian Majesty, and adding a second itinerary to New England and Canada. We are looking forward to working with them for many more years to come.” Norwegian Cruise Line's 34,000-ton, 1,104-passenger Norwegian Crown made six, seven-day sailings to Bermuda with stops at Royal St. Georges and Hamilton from May 6 through June 10. In 2008, the line's 1,462-passenger Norwegian Majesty will make 10 sailings, five to Bermuda and five to Canada/New England. The season will run from August 30 through November 2. Royal Caribbean's 2,020 passenger, 48,563-ton Empress of the Seas will make 14 seven-day sailings to Bermuda from Philadelphia in 2007. From July 28 through October 27 the ship will make calls in St. George's and Hamilton, Bermuda. The cruise sailings provide great economic opportunity for the Philadelphia region. In 2003, the average group (2.4 people) of overnight cruisers spent approximately $226 during their stay in the Philadelphia region, with the majority of the money going towards lodging and food. With more than 60,000 cruise passengers in 2004, the CruisePhilly program generated approximately $16 million in business revenue and 195 full-time, equivalent jobs. In 2005, more than 90,000 cruise passengers sailed from the port, generating nearly $30 million in business revenue and 229 full-time, equivalent jobs. In 2006, more than 131,000 cruise passengers sailed, translating into $34.8 million in business revenue and 258 full-time, equivalent jobs. For information on cruising from Philadelphia or special pre- and post-cruise packages, visit www.cruisephilly.com or call (856) 968-2052. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. The Philadelphia Cruise Terminal at Pier 1 is operated by the Port of Philadelphia and Camden, a department of the Delaware River Port Authority. DRPA also owns and operates the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges, the PATCO High Speed Line, and the RiverLink Ferry.[ Return to List ]