PORT CANAVERAL -- Four new cruise ships will soon set sail from Port Canaveral.

Combined, they will carry about 12,500 tourists.

News 13's Ben Baird reports the new ships could be a big help to Central Florida's economy as the shuttle program winds down.

The changes will start next May when Royal Caribbean will move it's massive Freedom of the Seas to the Space Coast. It will carry about 3,600 passengers.

Then, in 2011, Disney will move in two more massive ships, which will each carry 4,000 people.

Those new ships will nearly double tourist numbers passing through Port Canaveral.
 
The Norrish family, visiting from Cincinnati, said they can't wait.

"It's exciting it's going to draw a lot of people down here," said Jennifer Norrish.

"A lot of our friends, a lot of people from Cincinnati do come down for the cruise ships," said Dan Norrish.

That could be good news for the Brevard economy.

The new ships are coming in as the space shuttle is being retired.
 
Already the port creates some 22,000 Space Coast jobs, and more tourism could create even more work in the lull between launches.

The changes are not all years away.  A new casino boat will start sailing in just a few weeks.

The 900-passenger Liquid Vegas will begin service in April. The ship is expected to bring about 250 new jobs.

Its owners, all Space Coast residents, said the jobs will be filled by people from Central Florida.

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