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Poignant send-off of Iconic Cunard Liner QE2 marked by festivities and flotilla

April 11, 2008 - QE2, the most famous passenger ship in the world and Cunard's longest serving ocean liner, departed Port Everglades in grand style yesterday afternoon as locals of Ft. Lauderdale gathered to say bon voyage for the last time amidst a flotilla of local boating enthusiasts. Port Everglades has been the Florida winter home for QE2 nearly every cruise season since 1971.

In commemoration of the special occasion, local Nova High School's 45-piece concert band provided musical pageantry fit for a Queen as the ship pulled away from the port for the last time.

Currently completing her 26th and final World Cruise, QE2 sailed into Ft. Lauderdale after making her final transit through the Panama Canal. Her onward journey will take her to New York before heading to her homeport in Southampton, England.

QE2 will leave the Cunard fleet in November this year to become a first-class tourist destination in Dubai.

Royal Caribbean The Cruise World has been abuzz over the question for more than a year, and
now it finally has an answer: A massive "Central Park" at the center of the
vessel that boasts soaring trees, live grass and outdoor restaurants.

The new area, which Royal Caribbean plans to announce this afternoon at a
press conference in New York, will be the central feature of the line's
so-called Project Genesis ships launching in 2009 and 2010.

"This is very different from anything on any of our ships," the line's
executive president, Harri Kulovaara, tells USA TODAY in an exclusive
interview. "This is going to have real gardens, grass and trees. It has
taken a lot of engineering."

Celebrity Cruises

MIAMI, Jan. 18 -- There is a new job opening at Celebrity Cruises: groundskeeper. The perfect candidate must be willing to perform his or her duties while traveling the world aboard a beautifully appointed ocean liner. The successful candidate also must be a dedicated horticulturist who possesses an unmistakable enthusiasm for the unexpected, as the greens will be miles out at sea.

When Celebrity Solstice launches in December, vacationers will find that the grass really is greener on a Celebrity Cruises vacation. The ship will present an industry first on the top deck of the ship: real, growing grass, set in an innovative new country club environment known as "The Lawn Club."

MSC Cruises

The Orchestra is Coming to Town! Win a Free Cruise on New Website Celebrating U.S. Arrival of MSC Orchestra

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla -- MSC Cruises, the world's fastest growing cruise line, invites everyone to join in the year-long celebration leading to the arrival of one of MSC Cruises' newest ship, MSC Orchestra, in America.

"We're excited to welcome this beautiful ship, one of the newest in our fleet, to Fort Lauderdale,"

Royal Caribbean

When Royal Caribbean Cruises launches the world's largest cruise ship -- the 220,000-ton Genesis -- late next year, passengers traveling onboard to Labadee, Haiti, will get an added bonus: They'll no longer have to be ferried across the idyllic sea.

After months of negotiations, the Haitian government and the Miami-based cruise line have signed an agreement to build an 800-foot long, $27 million pier that will allow cruise passengers easier access to the secluded beach.

Carnival

Carnival Dream to be Based in Port Canaveral, Fla. – The largest “Fun Ship” ever constructed, the 3,652-passenger Carnival Dream, will be homeported in Port Canaveral, Fla., beginning in fall 2009. Currently under construction at Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, Carnival Dream is the first in a new class of ship with a unique interior design, sleek hull and distinctive profile, along with a host of innovative facilities and features which will be released in the coming months. The deployment of Carnival Dream to Port Canaveral continues the line’s 18-year relationship with the Canaveral Port Authority, the longest tenure of any cruise line there.

Carnival Earns Nine ‘Best of Cruising’ Awards from Fodor’s – Carnival – a relative newcomer in European cruising, entering the market just three years ago – is well represented in the Fodor’s Complete Guide to European Cruises, garnering nine “Best of Cruising” designations, more than double the number of any other cruise line. Carnival’s nine awards include: Best Regular Dining Room Cuisine, Best Specialty Restaurants, Best Cruise Line For Families, Best Regular Cabins, Best Beds, Best Entertainment, Best Sports and Fitness Centers, Best Shops, and Best Fun & Funky Activities.

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