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Port Everglades cruise biz is sinking
One of the few areas where the cruise industry is not growing: Port Everglades.
About 3.4 million passengers came through Fort Lauderdale in the year ended 30 Sept., slightly fewer than the number five years ago. And next summer, only one large ship will sail from of the world’s No. 3 cruise port, down from three this past summer, reports the Sun-Sentinel.
Port officials attribute the falloff to a decline in the day-cruise business, competition from new gambling venues on land and consumer clamor for European rather than Caribbean vacations.
“The Caribbean in the last 12 months has not been as attractive as it has been in the past,” said Carlos Buqueras, director of business development at Port Everglades.
The number of day-cruise passengers has declined by half from its peak of 1.4 million in 2004. The exit of the St. Tropez gambling ship in mid-2005, combined with new competition from land-based casinos such as the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, has taken a toll.
Port Everglades has been able to hold its ranking as the No. 3 cruise port, after Miami and Port Canaveral, by attracting some big new ships, the newspaper says.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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