PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Construction has begun on a new cruise terminal near Philadelphia International Airport that is expected to bring thousands of jobs and deliver a major tourism boost to the city ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.
PhilaPort, the operators of the Port of Philadelphia, broke ground at the former Hog Island Dock site in Tinicum Township, which will serve as a cruise terminal for Norwegian Cruise Line starting next April.
The Miami-based cruise line has agreed to use Philadelphia as a home base for 41 sailings a year, representing a major upgrade from their commitment last year to offer 24 Philly-based cruises over a 7-year period.
Norwegian called the 16-acre development “a strategic milestone.”
In a statement, the company said their Philly-based cruises will offer “world-class destinations with the convenience of sailing from a city rich in American history.”
They will be the first cruises to call Philadelphia home in 15 years, since two American Cruise Line ships steamed out of the Navy Yard in 2011.
Port officials estimated the new terminal will deliver more than 2,100 jobs and generate about $300 million in economic output for the state.