Norwegian Majesty to leave port

One ship accounts for nearly three-quarters of Charleston's cruise calls, and that vessel has been sold to a business on another continent in a deal that could leave a gaping hole on the waterfront at the foot of Market Street.

Of the 29 cruise-ship calls planned for 2009, the Norwegian Majesty accounts for 21.

But Star Cruises, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Lines, sold the Norwegian Majesty and another ship to Louis Cruise Lines in April.

Louis announced last week that it finalized the deal for $162 million. After October 2009, the Norwegian Majesty no longer will sail as an NCL ship, according to company spokeswoman AnneMarie Mathews.

Losing that ship seems like losing a chunk of port activity. Norwegian is the only cruise line that has a contract with the State Ports Authority.

SPA officials say that the big pleasure ships that tie up at its cruise terminal at the end of Market Street account for less than 1 percent of its business. And tourism experts say cruises bring in only 1 percent of Charleston's visitors.

But while they don't bring huge volumes of traffic to the city, cruise ships do deliver a special type of tourist, said Helen Hill, executive director of the Charleston Area Visitors and

Convention Bureau.

"It brings many new, first-time visitors to Charleston," Hill said. "Particularly at a time when people are sticking closer to home, it's important we build new visitors."

Plus, Hill said, cruise-ship tourists tend to visit a lot of attractions, the area where Charleston's tourist economy is hurting most right now.

News about the ship's departure comes at a time when port officials are reporting record cruise calls. That number should top out at 50 by year's end, up from 44 in 2007.

Charleston could count on about 1,500 passengers coming to town each time the Norwegian Majesty docked. SPA spokesman Byron Miller said that ship's success indicates a strong market here.

The state maritime agency recently hired a consultant to assess its small passenger terminal, but that study remains a work in progress.

"We want to aggressively market Charleston as a cruise destination," Miller said. "We're looking for other opportunities for other carriers."

Before transferring to Louis — which cruises from Greece, Cyprus, France and Italy — the Norwegian Majesty will bring something new to Charleston. This fall through April, Norwegian will embark on seven-day cruises to four ports in Florida and the Bahamas.

But beyond May 2009, NCL would offer no further information about its future here.

Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.