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South Florida becoming cruise capital of the world?
Port Everglades will become home to five of the cruise industry’s eight newest cruise ships in time for the 2008-2009 winter Caribbean cruise season.
Newly built cruise ships joining the Port Everglades fleet include: Holland America Line’s ms Eurodam, Princess Cruises’ Ruby Princess, Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Solstice, Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Splendor, and Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas.
In addition, several cruise ships will be sailing for the first time from Port Everglades including Princess Cruises’ Tahitian Princess, MSC Cruises’ Orchestra and Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Freedom, which will be sailing year-round from Greater Fort Lauderdale.
“The newest, largest and grandest cruise ships typically debut at Port Everglades because South Florida is the cruise capital of the world and is easily accessible by air and land,” saidPort Everglades Director Phillip C. Allen.
During the 2008-2009 cruise season, Port Everglades expects to host 48 cruise ships from 16 cruise lines. Approximately 3.14 million cruise passengers are expected to embark and disembark from Port Everglades this coming year.
Holland America Line’s 2,104-passenger ms Eurodam will kick off the season as the first new cruise ship to arrive at Port Everglades. The ship arrives in South Florida on October 15, 2008.
The ms Eurodam marks Holland America Line’s new Signature Class vessels. The 86,700-ton ship has 11 passenger decks, a new topside Pan-Asian restaurant called Tamarind that is surrounded by panoramic views, an Explorer’s Lounge Bar, a new Italian restaurant adjacent to the Lido, elegant luxury jewelry boutique, new atrium bar area, an enhanced and reconfigured show lounge and a new photographic and imaging center.
On November 6, 2008, Princess Cruises’ will celebrate the official naming of the line’s newest ship, Ruby Princess, at Port Everglades. Built by Fincatieri Cantieri Navali Italiani, the 113,000-ton Ruby Princess is a sister vessel to the Crown Princess and Emerald Princess, both of which also will sail from Port Everglades this winter.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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