Good friends of ours (also travel writers) — Harry and Joan Shattuck — stepped off Holland America's Eurodam and into history last weekend in Fort Lauderdale. Stepping into history is always memorable, if nothing else.
The occasion was eight ships — including the mighty Oasis of the Seas — in a port at the same time. This will happen six times this cruise season at Port Everglades, but last weekend was the first time passengers on ships from the Carnival family were able to be processed getting on and off a ship simultaneously.
This was happening in four terminals, numbers 2, 19, 21 and 26. That's where an estimated 25 million cruise passengers from Carnival-brand ships will experience the upgrade over the next 15 years. This, in turn, is worth $500 million to the port. The $54-million renovation has been in the works, on time and under budget, for almost three years since Carnival and the county agreed on their respective commitments.
As much as it was historic for passengers to be getting on and off Carnival, Holland America and Princess ships at the same time, it brings the process in line with what has been happening at Terminal 18 for two years. That's where Oasis and Allure of the Seas passengers have been experience a similar process for two years…in a terminal built following an agreement between Royal Caribbean and the port.
On days like last Saturday, the modernization and ease of transport is appreciated when eight ships are in port. Incidentally, that will happen again next Saturday (December 1)…and four more times by next spring.
But nothing's quite like that historic first.
Oceania Riviera
10 nights
February 22, 2013
Miami (return): Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Roatan, Santo Thomas de Castilla, Belize, Costa Maya
Balcony: $3,355
Cost per day: $335
www.oceaniacruises.com