Cruise Ships Flock to Florida
Carnival Vista (Photo courtesy of Carnival-News.com)
Miami experienced a record-breaking docking of the world’s largest cruise ships this month, and is expecting to receive yet another cruise ship giant this week.
Carnival Cruise Line is delivering its newest and largest ship, Carnival Vista, to homeport in Miami this week from its temporary re-positioning in New York. Once it arrives, the 133,500 gross-ton Vista will begin a year-round Caribbean service starting November 27.
Carnival Vista carries 3,954 passengers and features unique attractions not found on other lines, including the suspended cycling ride known as SkyRide. The ship also features the first IMAX theater at sea and boasts Cuba-themed rooms and venues.
Miami’s recent influx of cruise ships includes some of the biggest vessels from other lines. Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Holland America Line recently brought their massive ships to Port Canaveral in Florida.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s ship, Norwegian Epic, arrived November 12 into Port Canaveral. Epic is among the top 10 largest cruise ships in the world and is the second-largest ship in Norwegian’s fleet at 155,873 gross tons and 1,081 feet long. The fleet’s largest ship is the Norwegian Escape, which features hull artwork by Guy Harvey.
The Norwegian Epic
Norwegian Epic debuted in 2010 but received renovations in 2015 that added the Cavern Club, a venue based on the club made famous by The Beatles. The updates also included improvements to Epic’s restaurants, theater, casino and Haven suites as well as adding a library and SplashGolf family attraction.
Norwegian Epic’s arrival came a week after Royal Caribbean International sailed the Oasis of the Seas into the port. The Oasis is the third-largest cruise ship in the world at 225,282 gross tons and 1,187 feet. As one of the largest ships in the world, Oasis is jam-packed with features like the Central Park outdoor area and “neighborhoods” that section out attractions and restaurants to make exploring the megaship easier.
Meanwhile, in Port Everglades (also in Fort Lauderdale), Royal Caribbean International celebrated the U.S. debut of its largest ship, Harmony of the Seas. On November 5, the ship made its maiden voyage from its permanent homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Harmony of the Seas
Harmony of the Seas is currently the largest cruise ship in the world. The ship carries 5,497 guests at double occupancy and weighs in at 226,963 gross tons. Harmony ‘s features are a combination of the cruise line’s Quantum-class and Oasis-class vessels, including three multi-level water slides and robotic bartenders.
Holland America Line’s Koningsdam arrived in Florida on November 9 for the first time since it debuted in April 2016. While not large enough to be in the top 10 largest cruise ships, Koningsdam has the honor of being Holland America Line’s largest ship to date.
Holland America Line’s Koningsdam (Photo courtesy of the Holland America Line blog)
Koningsdam boasts many firsts for the cruise line, including a wine-blending venue, family and no-supplement solo cabins (no charges for cruising as a single), an outdoor movie theater and musically-themed architecture.
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