02/16/2010

Contact:  Julie Watson at (904) 421-9173 or jwatson@visitjacksonville.com    

 

EXTEND YOUR CRUISE VACATION IN JACKSONVILE
Numerous Excursions are Conveniently Located Near JAXPORT Cruise Terminal

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2010) - After spending a month in dry dock undergoing extensive renovations and upgrades, the Carnival Fascination has returned to Jacksonville.  The 2,052-passenger ship sails four- and five-day itineraries to Key West and the Bahamas.  Located at the crossroads of Interstate 95 and Interstate 10, Jacksonville is within easy driving distance of cruisers in the Southeast.  The Jacksonville International Airport also provides convenient access for cruisers, with more than 100 direct flights daily.

Jacksonville offers numerous options for pre- and post-cruise excursions, many of which are located close to the cruise terminal.  A few that are within minutes of the JAXPORT Cruise Terminal include:

Experience the adventure of the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens with more than 1,500 animals and 1,000 species of plants.  Jacksonville Zoo will also be bringing their popular seasonal attraction, Stingray Bay, back to the zoo in March 2010 where zoo-goers can pet stingrays and, new this year, get up close and personal with sharks. Be sure to see The Range of the Jaguar, a two-time national award-winning South American exhibit, which also pays homage to Jacksonville's NFL team.

Jacksonville's Anheuser-Busch Brewery offers complementary tours Monday through Saturday with tastings following the tour for guest 21 years of age or older. The brewery also offers The Beermaster Tour, a recently introduced, small, private tour that takes guests into never-before-seen areas of the brew house, lager cellar, packaging facility and finishing cellar.

Jacksonville boasts the largest urban park system in the country with more than 111,000 acres of city, state and national parks.  The 46,000-acre Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve was established to protect one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast and to preserve historic and prehistoric sites. The estuarine ecosystem includes salt marsh, coastal dunes and hardwood hammocks, all rich in native vegetation and animal life.  

Located within the Preserve on Fort George Island is Kingsley Plantation.  Built in 1798, this irreplaceable historic structure is the oldest plantation house remaining in Florida.  Visitors to the plantation can find remarkably preserved slave quarters, barn, plantation house, kitchen house and interpretive garden all located on the waterfront. The plantation house recently re-opened for tours after being closed for several years due to refurbishing.

Explore the outdoors of Northeast Florida with Kayak Amelia.  An introduction to kayaking is given at the beginning of each tour, allowing beginners to get accustomed to being on the water.  Kayaking guided tours are offered numerous times throughout the week, allowing nature enthusiasts to get an up close look at the wildlife surrounding the Timucuan Preserve.

Get a unique perspective of Northeast Florida on a guided Segway eco-history tour with EcoMotion Tours. Experience wildlife and history in a setting like no other, traveling through off-road paths in the heart of Fort George Island. All tours are guided, with riders equipped with a wireless headset to learn from guides of native plants, animals and history of the trails.  Be on the lookout for tortoises, rabbits and for the lucky travelers - the occasional alligator off in the distance.

There are also a number of hotels located near the cruise terminal, many of which offer free parking and shuttle service to and from the terminal. In January, the Holiday Inn Jacksonville Airport reopened as the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Airport after completing a full renovation and now features new beds, revamped rooms and a new lobby.  The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Blount Island is the closest hotel to the cruise terminal, conveniently located across the street.  Aloft Jacksonville Airport opened in August 2009, offering a boutique hotel option near the terminal. Guest rooms at Aloft feature a "plug ‘n play connectivity center," which charges all your electronics and links to the 42" LCD TV. 

For more information on things to do in Jacksonville pre- or post-cruise and special deals, log on to http://www.visitjacksonville.com/.

###

Visit Jacksonville is the marketing organization contracted by the Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Northeast Florida.  Along with its nearly 400 tourism partners, Visit Jacksonville stimulates economic impact, quality of life and recognition for the Northeast Florida region.  For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to http://www.visitjacksonville.com/.