Atlantic City looks into attracting cruise ships

The state agency that oversees Atlantic City’s Tourism District is wondering whether the resort can become a port of call for cruise ships.

John Palmieri, executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, said a preliminary examination will focus on whether Atlantic City can accommodate cruise ships and what the economic impact would be.

Some of the issues to be considered, he said, are “how many people visit and what kind of spending might we be able to anticipate?

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“Are we a port of call? How many stops take place here? How large are the vessels? How many people per vessel per event?” he continued. “Does it happen weekly through the spring and summer months?”

Indications are that the Inlet area could accommodate small cruise ships, but some dredging might be necessary.

The initial examination by the authority’s consulting engineer should take a few weeks. If officials decide to pursue a full study of the cruise ship idea, it could take up to six months to complete.

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