Allure of the Seas Sails from Yard

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas left the STX Europe yard in Turku, Finland, this morning for its home port in Ft. Lauderdale. The crossing is scheduled to take 13 days. Note that the retractable funnels seem to be down in anticipation of passing under the Great Belt Bridge tonight.

The backstory to Queen Elizabeth's history coming alive

Cunard is a line of history. The line proudly traces its roots, and each ship they build is filled with reminders of that history.

They also fill their ships with beautiful art - all types of artwork. There are massive works as well as small and exquisite ones. There are traditional and more contemporary pieces. There are serious and traditional subjects and more whimsical ones. Cunard invests what most people would consider a fortune in these.

Aboard the new Queen Elizabeth, surprisingly, one of the displays that's getting the most attention from passengers was one of the least expensive. And this is its (creepy) backstory.


The complete story appeared in the October 28, 2010, edition of Cruise News Daily.

Allure of the Seas Handed Over

STX Europe delivered Allure of the Seas to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd this morning at its Turku Finland Yard.

The ship will depart on Friday for its home port at Ft. Lauderdale.


Shown above are the ship's main engine room and the Boardwalk area. Larger versions and additional photos.


Details appeared in the October 28, 2010, edition of Cruise News Daily.

Port Everglades' Secret Weapon

If someone tells you that their cruise leaves from "Florida," these days more often than not they will really be sailing from Port Everglades. The Broward County port at Ft. Lauderdale is on track to become the world's largest cruise port any day now. Each year, for many years in a row, they not only break their volume record from the year before, but there are at least a couple dates in the season where they either break their all-time record for number of passengers handled in one day or they flirt with the record.

Passengers are really happy with the port. It's easily accessible from the airport and from highways. Parking is convenient, and there are even offsite options. The terminals are modern and filled with passenger conveniences. Even more important, the cruise lines are all happy working with the port, and they show it by bringing more and more ships there.

How is it that Port Everglades keeps everyone so happy? It's because they have a secret weapon no other port has.


The complete article appeared in the October 27, 2010, edition of Cruise News Daily.

Starbucks goes to sea, Portland expands, Birthday offer from MSC

CND subscribers also read about Starbucks going to sea for the first time aboard Allure of the Sea ... Portland, Maine, ready to expand ... and MSC making birthday wishes come true.


Details of these items appeared int the "Other Things You'll Want to Know" column in the October 27, 2010, edition of Cruise News Daily.