Mention the "Big 3" in Florida and everybody will think you mean Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade.
These days, it's not that automatic, and not just because James was making headlines with his Decision 2.0 as to where he'll be bouncing and swishing basketballs. In the cruise world, for example, the "Big 3" are Miami (the port not the Heat), Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral.
And not necessarily in that order.
Most cruisers think of Fort Lauderdale and Miami as the main ports of departure. Miami is the world's self-proclaimed busiest cruise port, and there often seems to be an armada of cruise ships at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
Port Canaveral (above) is making up ground, or water.
On any given Sunday, you can find as many as five cruise ships there — two Carnival, two Royal Caribbean and a Disney. The port is home to three ships from Disney (Disney World is just down the interstate in Orlando) and so does Carnival. New agreements are signed with Royal Caribbean and Norwegian.
Dredging is taking place to depend the channel and a new terminal is due to be completed in November, so that the biggest ships in cruising can be accommodate. Hello, Oasis of the Seas?
It's a fierce competition for the Florida cruise dollar…almost as fierce as the competition will be now that Lebron James is breaking up the other "Big 3."
Today at Phil Reimer's portsandbows.com: Theme cruise with stars of TCM
Caribbean Princess
7 nights
August 2, 2014
Fort Lauderdale (return): Princess Cays, St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk
Inside: $649
Cost per day: $92
www.princess.com