Philadelphia has begun building a new cruise terminal on the Delaware River, according to the release. The publicly owned Port of Philadelphia, known as PhilaPort, has started work on the PhilaPort Cruise Terminal, a 16-acre facility beside Philadelphia International Airport that is planned to open for passengers in April 2026.
Under a berthing agreement running from April 15, 2026 through March 31, 2033, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) will make Philadelphia an exclusive homeport, initially committing to 41 sailings per year. The deal restores regular cruise service to the region for the first time since 2011.
The terminal is being developed through a three-party partnership among PhilaPort, NCLH and Energy Transfer Marketing and Terminals (ETMT), following PhilaPort’s and ETMT’s completed sale of the former Hog Island Dock Terminal Facility in Tinicum Township. The site, directly adjacent to airport runways and connected to major highways, is intended to appeal to both drive-to and fly-in passengers.
Construction duties are divided: PhilaPort is responsible for all marine-side work, while NCLH will lead land-side terminal construction and passenger-oriented facilities. PhilaPort expects the terminal to support 2,185 direct and indirect jobs in Pennsylvania and to generate about $300 million in annual economic output once operations scale up.
The project aligns with PhilaPort’s broader “Destination 2040” strategy to diversify beyond cargo and expand its economic role. Recent port activity has included handling about 841,000 containers in 2024 and investing more than $1 billion in modernization. Norwegian’s return to Philadelphia follows a 2024 announcement that Norwegian Jewel would be based in the city for the 2026 season. The ship, with capacity for roughly 2,300 guests, will offer seven- to nine-day cruises to Bermuda beginning April 16, 2026, later shifting to longer itineraries alternating between Philadelphia and Québec City.
The new berthing agreement extends beyond this deployment, granting NCLH’s Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises exclusive homeport rights in Philadelphia for the full term, with a minimum of 41 annual sailings.
Cruise ships previously sailed from the Philadelphia Navy Yard terminal, which saw a peak of 36 voyages in 2006 but closed in 2011.
PhilaPort is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for managing publicly owned marine terminals along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. It oversees leasing of facilities to private operators and administers long-term infrastructure projects involving cargo handling, logistics and maritime operations.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is a cruise operating group incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in the Miami area. It controls three distinct cruise brands—Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises—each with its own fleet, onboard product and deployment model.
