Three cruise ships are scheduled to join the fleet in Port Everglades this month. Regal Princess, the newest ship in the Princess line, had a naming ceremony on November 9. Carnival Conquest replaces Carnival Freedom for the season, and Celebrity Constellation returns from a summer in Europe.
Two other major cruise ships, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, also will be returning to Port Everglades in early 2015 to launch extended cruises.
Returning to Port Everglades this season:
Regal Princess. After spending her first season afloat in the Mediterranean, this ship will run seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises this season. The former cast of TV’s “The Love Boat” was on hand for the naming ceremony last week. The 19-deck ship can carry 3,560 passengers, along with 1,346 crew members. The ship features a glass-enclosed public walkways that extends outside the ship and hangs over the ocean, as well as the largest Movies Under the Stars area on any Princess ship. New additions include an expanded atrium and an aft pool.
Carnival Conquest. Moving up the coast from PortMiami, this ship replaces Carnival Freedom at Port Everglades. (Carnival Freedom moves to Galveston, Texas, in February after undergoing a few upgrades.) Two-thirds of the staterooms have ocean views on this 13-deck ship, which includes 22 bars and lounges and a gigantic casino. Kids can enjoy Camp Carnival, as well as their own swimming pool. The ship, which makes Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean runs, can carry nearly 3,000 passengers and more than 1,110 crewmembers.
Celebrity Constellation. Along with Celebrity Century, she’s the co-flagship of the Celebrity Cruises line. An internet lounge, along with enhanced WiFi, has been added to the ship. Recent renovations also include the addition of verandas to most state rooms. The 13-deck ship, which carries nearly 2,500 passengers and 1,000 crew, returns from fall runs in the Black Sea for Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean cruises this summer. A special Bahamas cruise is scheduled for the end of the year.
Also sailing from Fort Lauderdale this winter:
Queen Elizabeth. Slightly larger than sister ship Queen Victoria, this Cunard Line ship can carry 2,058 passengers. The 12-deck ship, which features art deco interiors, returns to Port Everglades after spending the summer in the Mediterranean. She departs Port Everglades on January 21 for 36-day passage to Auckland, New Zealand. Ports include Nassau, Curacao, Panama Canal, Costa Rica, Mexico, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hawaii, Pago Pago and New Zealand.
Queen Victoria. The smallest ship in the Cunard Line, this ship can carry 2,014 passengers along with 900 crewmembers. The 11-deck ship features seven restaurants, 13 bars, two pools, a ballroom and a theater with private box seats. She departs Port Everglades on January 2 for 78-day roundtrip that includes Bonaire, Aruba, Panama Canal, Guatemala, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Apia, Australia, New Zealand, Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, Columbia, and Grand Cayman.