According to a resolution approved Tuesday by Miami-Dade County Commissioners, the port will pay the Miami-based cruise line $3 million for marketing costs before the 4,200-passenger vessel arrives in the fall of 2015. Half of the money will be paid by the end of 2013, with the other half due by Nov. 15, 2014.
Norwegian Cruise Line is keeping mum on its plans, saying only “We don’t comment on future deployment,” but the agreement says the company will hold the ship’s naming ceremony at the port and will base the vessel there for at least three years. Norwegian Escape is scheduled to be delivered in fall of 2015.
The company’s upcoming ship, Norwegian Getaway, will sail from Miami year-round starting in February. For fiscal 2014, which started Oct. 1, Norwegian has agreed to generate a million passenger movements, then increase that number to 1.2 million the following year and 1.3 million in fiscal 2016 and beyond.
