Well, I haven't posted much lately mostly due to the lack of any real news in the cruise industry over the past few months. The crappy economy is taking a toll everywhere and good news is hard to come by. The Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami has been going on and there has been some interesting information coming out. Notably, more info on Norwegian Epic's cabins, some of which will be 100 square foot (tiny) studio cabins.
The most important news - to me at least- is the reveal of the renovated Port Everglades terminal in Ft. Lauderdale. Port Everglades will be the homeport for both Oasis of the Seas and her sister Allure of the Seas when they are completed. Both ships can hold close to 6000 passengers so the upgrades to the terminal have been significant.
The terminal itself - terminal 18 - is now the largest single ship terminal in the world. It has been expanded from 67,000 square feet to 240,000 square feet. The terminal will have the ability to process disembarking and embarking passengers at the same time since the terminal is partitioned into sections. There will be wi-fi access, and seating for 3,000 people. Over 1,000 parking spaces will be located adjacent to the terminal and there will be shuttle service to and from other nearby parking areas. There is also the possibility of a 2,000+ space parking garage on site by the time Allure of the Seas is completed. Helping get passengers on the massive ships will be handled by 90 check in counters and Royal Caribbean hopes to get passengers from the curb to to the ship in 15 minutes if everything is working properly.
Sounds like the terminal is going to be almost as cool as the ships. Well, maybe not but still impressive if it all works as planned.
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