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Source: The Florida Times-Union, JacksonvilleOct.迷你倉 27--Bob Weston's job as an embarkation team member at the JaxPort cruise ship terminal fits perfectly with his schedule as a retiree.On Thursday, Weston was shaking hands and offering warm greetings with some of about 2,000 passengers boarding the Carnival Fascination cruise ship as it was about to leave port for one of its many cruises that either go to the Bahamas or Key West. Weston has been with the cruise operations in Jacksonville since they started 10 years ago as part of Intercruises Shoreside and Port Services, one of the many subcontractors that help keep the cruise-ship operations running here."You go home with such a smile," said Weston, a 75-year-old retired motivational speaker for General Motors. He said he's been with the cruise operations so long, many returning passengers recognize him as they board a ship departing from the Jacksonville terminal off Heckscher Drive on the Northside just west of the Dames Point bridge.For Weston and hundreds like him, the cruise-ship operations are scheduled just right because the Fascination is in its home port only once, twice or sometimes three times a week. It's a part-time job for most of those workers and is part of the economic impact the cruise industry has had on Jacksonville for the past decade.Visit Jacksonville, the local tourist development agency, and JaxPort are highlighting the first decade of cruising from Jacksonville. On Monday, there's a "bon voyage" party that costs $10 per person at the Sandollar Restaurant and Marina at 9716 Heckscher Drive.Beyond the commemoration of the first decade of cruising, Visit Jacksonville CEO Paul Astleford said area residents should reflect on the significant economic impact the industry has had."It's one of those things a lot of people don't think about when they think about the visitor industry and the people that are coming here, spending money and contributing to the community prosperity overall," Astleford said. "This industry generates well over $67 million in economic impact for Northeast Florida."Astleford said his agency estimates the entire visitor industry in Northeast Florida generates about $3 billion each year. The cruise industry is drawing visitors from far outside the area."Literally, you can go into the parking lots and see license plates from all over the country," Astleford said.At the Holiday Inn Express hotel about a half-mile east of the entrance to the cruise-ship terminal, General Manager Gerald Mandosia said the 73-unit facility generates about $1.5 million in annual revenue. Mandosia said it would be impossible to achieve that without the cruise ship industry's impact."It gives us 100 percent occupancy every night before a cruise," Mandosia said. "There have been many times where we have to send guests to other properties because by 8 p.m. we'll be sold out."It [the cruise industry] is essential. What's not accounted for is the guests who are coming down for two nights," Mandosia said. "You're bringing a lot of people coming out of Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia areas."In addition, when the cruise ship returns to its home port, many of the passengers disembarking aren't returning home right away. Mandosia said he sees some of the same customers come right back to his hotel after the voyage."They're coming down here to cruise and then they stay a couple more nights and want to go visit the Beaches, visit the downtown area and just seeing what Jacksonville has to offer. It's impacting every aspect with the restaurants as well," Mandosia said.While hoteliers, restaurateurs and shopkeepers mself storagey benefit, there are nearly 460 jobs created as a result of the cruise industry. Someone has to serve the 1.5 million people who've sailed from Jacksonville on cruise ships in the past decade. In 2012 alone, 195,000 passengers embarked on cruise voyages from Jacksonville. That was a local record for one year, according to JaxPort officials.The number of passengers dropped about 10,000 for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, but JaxPort spokeswoman Nancy Rubin attributed that to fewer cruises rather than the trouble Carnival has had in the past year.After several incidents, including a cruise that went five days without working toilets, Carnival experienced a large decline in passengers. But Rubin said at least four fewer cruises left Jacksonville this year because the ship was in dry dock for two weeks in January and the ship ran an experimental seven-day cruise.Gloria Tomkins is the cruise-terminal supervisor and she's been working at the facility since it opened in 2003, when she started as an embarkation agent. She said the value of the jobs to those who work there can't be overestimated."It's gotten much busier. Passenger loads have increased tremendously," Tomkins said. "This job fills a real need for people who might not want to work on a totally full-time basis."Those employed at the cruise-ship terminal, either through subcontractors or support businesses, are into the gig, Tomkins said."This is a fun job, this is something people look forward to," Tomkins said. "We never know what kind of hurdles, obstacles or situations are going to happen. It's just always different. It's always exciting. They are absolutely into it, they are 150 percent into it."With 10 years behind it, there are serious questions facing the future of the cruise industry in Jacksonville. An analysis of JaxPort operations completed this year by consulting firm Martin Associates, commissioned by JaxPort, made many recommendations regarding the cruise industry, most notably a relocation of the terminal facility."The current Dames Point cruise terminal cannot serve the industry in the longer term," the consultant's recommendation stated. "Thus a new cruise terminal site will be required as will the construction of a new cruise terminal."Rubin said JaxPort remains committed to the cruise industry, though she stopped short of saying how the agency will respond to the recommendations."One of the strategies that we have for growth, for sure in our new master plan, is to maintain the diversity of our business and cruise helps us do that," Rubin said Thursday while touring the terminal grounds. "As far as when, how, where we would move this operation, those are answers that are yet to be determined."JaxPort still owns about a half dozen acres in Mayport Village and the agency once openly stated it was seriously considering the historic fishing enclave as a potential site for a relocation of the cruise terminal. The consultant's recommendation for future use of that waterfront land did not include a cruise terminal."The Mayport property owned by JaxPort should be developed in a manner consistent with the community's best interests. ... This does not include the development of [a] cruise terminal," the consultant's report stated.Rubin said JaxPort is focusing on the current cruise operations. Rubin said JaxPort is happy with its Carnival Cruise Lines partner and will work to maintain that relationship.Drew Dixon: (904) 359-4098Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) Visit The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Fla.) at .jacksonville.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷利倉