The headline says it all. We had planned on getting two shows up for you while we were away – one of them was even going to be a new show.
But as has been happening lately we had some issues, not the least of which was a 4 hour blackout. BTW you haven’t lived until you’ve had to pack for a trip in the dark! 
We plan to be back with a new episode on Christmas Eve – consider it our present to you! 
Broward County’s Port Everglades expects to see significant economic and tourism growth as Royal Caribbean International announces that they will be homeporting its two new 5,400-passenger “Project Genesis” vessels in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The agreement between Royal Caribbean and Broward County is expected to be finalized by the cruise line company’s Board of Directors and the Broward County Commission on or before December 19, 2007.
Royal Caribbean’s Project Genesis ships will be the largest cruise ships ever constructed. The first of the 220,000-gross-registered-ton ships is scheduled to begin sailing year-round from Port Everglades in late 2009, with the second sister ship to begin year-round sailings one year later. Each Project Genesis ship, being constructed at Aker Yards in Turku, Finland, is projected to generate approximately 584,000 in passenger traffic annually at Port Everglades.
As part of the agreement, Royal Caribbean will reimburse up to $37.4 million in capital expenditures for expansion and related infrastructure needs of Terminal 18, which is already one of the largest cruise passenger terminals worldwide. Along with sister brands Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, Royal Caribbean International will generate approximately 17 million in passenger volume (embarking and disembarking) at Port Everglades during the first 10-year term of the contract.
An economic impact study conducted by Martin and Associates as part of the Port Everglades Master/Vision Plan, projects that homeporting the Genesis ships at Port Everglades will create more than 3,844 jobs, generate $172 million in personal income and $15.9 million state and local taxes. In addition, the analysis anticipates that more than 858 new construction jobs will be created during Terminal 18 expansion.
Once again not a whole lot of news this week.
We start off with a mystery, a passenger turned up missing from Carnival Fantasy. Adding to the mystery, the missing person’s cabin was locked – from the inside…
With Queen Victoria entering service, we’ve got details about the ship’s Royal Spa and Fitness Center. We’ve also got news of a unique activity coming to Celebrity Solstice – glass blowing.
After a highly influential 35 years which Carnival Cruise Lines, Bob Dickenson has retired.
The NTSB has also released the highly anticipated final report on the boiler explosion that ended the career of SS Norway in 2003.
With all of the travel that we’ve been doing over the past year (and with another trip just days away) we thought it was a good time to share our thoughts about packing.
We’ve got a contest too – give us your packing tips as a comment to this post. The best tip as selected by us will get a spiffy Carnival Freedom tote bag.
Finally, we’ll be doing our prediction show for 2008 in the next few weeks. Got a prediction of your own – we want to hear them too…
Fresh mango, muddled raspberries and the spicy zest of ginger are infusing Crystal’s cocktails with a host of fresh flavors. The luxury line has teamed up with celebrated “Modern Mixologist” Tony Abou-Ganim to completely remake its bar menus to feature only fresh ingredients, premium liquors, inventive combinations and a signature drink designed to complement the mood of different lounges.
Joining classic cocktails are such specialty drinks as the:
- Bow Thruster – Maker’s Mark whiskey, Grand Marnier, fresh peach puree, fresh orange juice and fresh lemon sour
- Mango Caiparoska – Chopin vodka, fresh mango muddled with simple syrup
- Sakeberry Martini – Nobu sake, fresh raspberries, fresh lime juice, simple syrup and Chambord
- Smooth Ginger – Mount Gay Rum, fresh lime juice, Galliano, ginger ale, Angostura bitters and fresh ginger
Modern Mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim is renowned for creating the cocktail experience at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and featured on the Fine Living Network program “Raising the Bar: America’s Best Bar Chefs.” He first dazzled Crystal guests aboard a Wine & Food Festival cruise where his engaging personality and cocktail mixing talents made him an instant favorite, garnering higher ratings than any other lecturer on the voyage.
Key to the program was Abou-Ganim’s involvement in furthering the training of Crystal’s bartenders. Embracing the term “chef,” Abou-Ganim uses phrases such as “massage the mint” and “let your ingredients get acquainted,” techniques, philosophies and passions he imparted to Crystal bartenders, teaching them to engage and entertain guests as well as serve.
The new bar menus will be introduced aboard Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity in January 2008.
Disney Cruise Line® announced two new eastern Caribbean itineraries for 2009 – giving you more choices than ever before to explore the beautiful islands of the Caribbean.
Beginning in 2009, St. Croix will be a featured stop on one new seven-night itinerary, and Tortola will be featured on another seven-night itinerary. Both islands are new to Disney Cruise Line, increasing the seven-night Caribbean choices on the Disney Magic® to four itineraries. (Disney’s traditional eastern and western Caribbean itineraries will continue).
Disney Cruise Line Guests have always enjoyed the beautiful turquoise waters and sugar sand beaches of the eastern Caribbean and, on select voyages throughout the 2009 season, Guests will be able to explore either St. Croix or Tortola.
The largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Croix offers a wonderful mix of colonial-style architecture, natural wonders, quaint shops and spectacular marine habitats. Tortola, part of the British Virgin Islands, features centuries-old ruins, botanical gardens, sugar mills, sensational bays and beaches. The new eastern Caribbean itineraries will stop at St. Croix or Tortola, St. Thomas and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.
Disney Cruise Line will continue to offer its current version of the eastern Caribbean cruise with stops at St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay. The traditional eastern Caribbean voyages will sail in-between the special sailings to St. Croix or Tortola.
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