Norwegian Cruise Line to begin offering trips out of Philadelphia in 2026
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Norwegian Cruise Line will soon offer trips from Philadelphia. The cruise line announced Wednesday that its Norwegian Jewel ship will begin picking up passengers from The Port of Philadelphia starting in 2026.
Sean Mahoney, senior director of marketing for PhilaPort, said they are "developing a facility in the SouthPort Marine Terminal complex." The port is currently a cargo facility and does not have passenger ports.
The Norwegian Jewel is expected to port in Philadelphia 24 times from April to October and will alternate homeports between Philadelphia and Quebec City.
The port is also expected to bring over 2,000 new jobs to the region and $40 million in annual revenue.
"This means tourism travel to our city, jobs for our workers at PhilaPort, and simply put, broader economic opportunity for Philadelphia," Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement.
Michael Pearson, chairman of the PhilaPort board of directors, said that the port is one of the many things Philadelphia can look forward to in 2026.
"We are celebrating the United States' 250th birthday, hosting major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Game, the PGA's 108th Championship, as well as NCAA March Madness games," Pearson said in a statement. "NCL's weekly cruises will add to the festivities and offer its guests a lot of fun things to see pre- and post-cruise."
By CBS News Philadelphia intern Olivia Dunne