Fort Lauderdale Cruise Ship Guidefor locals and visitors
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Cruise Ships in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale : Port to the World

Port Everglades is located mere minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale. It is the largest 5-star cruising port in the world and its 11 cruise ship terminals are your gateway to a myriad of destinations around the world. Moreover, a few days stay in Fort Lauderdale on either end of your cruise will make your trip perfect.

More than three and a half million tourists in cruise ships transit the port every year. In fact, nineteen cruise lines offer more than 2000 different cruises from Fort Lauderdale annually to destinations throughout the Caribbean, to the Bahamas, Bermuda and Central and South America. Port Everglades is only a seven minute cab ride from Fort Lauderdale International Airport.

The MV Dawn Princess of the popular Princess Cruise Line departs Port Everglades for extended Caribbean tours. This ship entered service in 1997 and accommodates up to 1,200 passengers. Some of the ports of call you can explore from the Dawn Princess include the Bahamas, St. Thomas, St. John (British Virgin Islands), Barbados, St. Maarten, the Dominican Republic, Curaçao, Venezuela and Princess Cruises' own island, Princess Cays. Aboard, you'll find bars like the Wheelhouse Bar with its interesting ships' models and extensive cigar collection and the Vista Lounge with its great views. There's also a library, a casino, two show lounges, a pastry shop, computerized golf, multiples pools, a beauty salon and a children's center. Dining is in one of the Dawn Princess' main dining rooms or the more casual Horizon Court with many between meal snack options.

Celebrity Cruise Lines sails its elegant GTS Summit from Fort Lauderdale for several departures each year. On ten and eleven day cruises, she visits ports like Key West, Cozumel, Costa Rica, Aruba, Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, Barbados, Guadeloupe and St. Thomas. A highlight of the ship's elegant décor is the paneling in her up-scale restaurant Normandie from the famed French ocean liner of the same name. Her passenger amenities include a jogging track, video arcade, the Mast Bar (with panoramic views), sporting courts, a magnolia garden in the conservatory, a two story library, a card room, a theater, a coffeehouse and the Champagne/Martini Bar. The Aqua Spa offers thalassotherapy and herbal steam and mud baths along with standard gym offerings. The Waterfall Pool is located next to a grill/café for outdoor eating. Dining is in the Summit's beautiful Cosmopolitan restaurant. Passengers can also enjoy the up-scale fare of the Normandie restaurant in its gorgeous Art Deco setting.

The Carnival Legend of Carnival Cruise Line serves Caribbean destinations from Fort Lauderdale throughout the year. Her eight day cruises stop variously in St. Maarten, Barbados, Martinique, Belize City, Limon (Costa Rica) and Colon (Panama). The Carnival Legend was just launched in 2002. The ship has 1,062 cabins and a passenger capacity of 2,124. The ship's lobby features an awesome 11 story atrium. Aboard ship you will find several bars, a casino, a café, a theater, a library with internet access, a video arcade, three pools, jacuzzis, a spa and other amenities. The Carnival Legend serves meals in its main dining room as well as upscale dinners (for a service charge) in its gourmet restaurant, the Golden Fleece. There are also pizza and ice cream stations and midnight buffets.

Celebrity Cruises' GTS Millennium offers a seven day Caribbean cruise stopping in the Dominican Republic, San Juan (Puerto Rico), St. Thomas and Nassau throughout much of the year. She offers a departure from Fort Lauderdale for Barcelona, Spain stopping in Bermuda, Madeira, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Malaga along the way. She entered service in 2000 and can accommodate 1,950 passengers. The ship's "Olympic" Restaurant is decorated with paneling that was originally on the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic. Among the amenities you will find basketball, volleyball and football courts, a jogging track, youth activities center, a spa and gym, several bars, a theater, a shopping arcade, coffeehouse and a casino. In addition to lunch and midnight buffets provided for passengers, Millennium offers dining in either its standard dining room or the up-scale Olympic restaurant (for an added service fee).

These are just a few of the fabulous ships serving Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades. You will find many, many more waiting to make your vacation dreams come true.