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Carnival Splendor Arrives in Port Everglades

On November 14, 2008 Carnival's newest and largest ship made it's debut in Florida.  It made a 16 day transatlantic crossing from Italy to get there.  Carnival Splendor will be based year-round in Long Beach, California.  They will be making 7 day Mexican Riviera cruises beginning in March of 2009.

World's Largest Ships

How big can they get?  In the cruise industry it's a real battle for the title of "Who has the Biggest Ship?"  In 2003 Cunard had the world's largest cruise liner, the Queen Mary 2.  Three years later Royal Caribbean introduced their Freedom of The Seas ship, which took the crown.  Royal Caribbean is now coming out with two more huge cruise liners in 2009:  Oasis of The Seas and Genesis.  The price tag on Genesis is $1.2 Billion!  Total length 1180 feet and will carry 6400 passengers.  Now, that's BIG!

In researching for this article I came across three ships, that are not cruise liners, but worth mentioning here.  The Knock Nevis is the largest ship ever ( retired now).  It was 1504 feet long and carried 4.1 million barrels.  The Emma Maersk was the longest ship in service at 1303 feet and carried 11,000 shipping containers.  The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan is the largest warship in the world.  It can hold 85 aircraft and a crew of over 6000.  www.popularmechanics.com   

Cruise Ship Jokes

A panhandler was caught trying to sneak aboard a luxury cruise liner.  He was caught by the purser who threw him off the ship yelling, "Beggars can't be Cruisers!"

One little old lady on my cruise ship claimed to be the "Luckiest" person in the casino.  Every time she put money in, money came out!  I didn't have the heart to tell her she was sitting at an A.T.M. machine.

A musician who recently joined the orchestra on a cruise ship was having a hard time keeping up with the pace.  Finally, the Captain said "Either you learn to keep time or I throw you over board!  It's SYNC or SWIM!"

Public address announcement on the second day of a 7-day cruise "If anyone is driving a red Toyota Camry, you left your lights on!"

How to Avoid Seasickness

There is nothing worse than to go on a cruise and get seasick!  Some people are prone to being sick, while others will never experience it no matter how rough the seas get.  The best way to avoid being sick is to take some precautions even before you get on board.  At your local pharmacy you could purchase Dramamine or a little patch you wear behind your ear to prevent seasickness.  The patches seem to work very well for most cruisers.  Here are a few more tips to prevent this:

1.  Book a midship cabin
2.  Stay physically and mentally busy on the ship
3.  Avoid new or strange foods
4. Keep moving your body so it will adjust to the ships movement

Disney Cruise Line a Finalist in World Savers Awards

Conde Nast Traveler magazine recently honored the Disney Cruise Lines as a finalist in four categories in the 2008 World Savers Awards.  The awards honor travel companies around the world in 5 categories:  Poverty Alleviations, Cultural and/or Environmental Preservation, Education, Wildlife and Health.  This is the first year that cruise lines were included in the competition.  The World Savers Awards were determined by 17 judges, who screened 142 applications and selected 38 finalists.

Some Interesting Facts On Pirates

1.  On November 22,1718 Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard, was killed in a bloody shipboard
     battle.

2.  The waters off the Nigerian coastline have been called the most dangerous in the world after a rise
     in attacks.

3.  In August of 2007 a mast was found that may be a part of the remains of the Whydah, a pirate ship
    that sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1717.

4.  The Indian Navy sank a Pirate ship in November of 2008.

5.  Pirates seized 30 ships in 2008 and 12 are still being held.

6.  Despite an attack on a cruise ship in November of 2005, such attacks on cruise liners rarely
    happen!  (Thank Goodness!)

Cunard Plans Two World Cruises

The Cunard Cruise Lines is planning two world cruises for 2010.  The Queen Mary 2, will begin her 101 day voyage January 4,2010.  Fares start at $21,666.00 per person!  The Queen Victoria will cruise 99 days circumnavigating the globe.  The ship departs New York on January 12 and heads to the Caribbean, Panama Canal to the Pacific and then to Asia, the Middle East and Europe.  Fares start at $21,276.00 per person for this one.

Cunard's Luxury cruising began in 1840.  When their ship the Queen Mary 2 debuted in 2004 it was tagged as the flagship of the Most Famous Ocean Liners in the world.

Win a Dream Cruise Vacation

This contest is brought to you by Better Homes and Garden.  The Grand Prize is $100,000. cash!  Other prizes include:  a $25,000. Brand New Vehicle, a $12,500. Dream Cruise Vacation and $1000. Shopping Sprees.  No purchase necessary, just fill out a short entry form and you can enter daily.  Thousands of prizes will be awarded.  Contest began August 15, 2008 and ends February 15,2009.  Go to   www.countryhome.com/win     

Pirates Hijack Supertanker

It's the largest ship ever seized by pirates and it occurred in the Indian Ocean off the Horn of Plenty.  The tanker, owned by a Saudi oil company is one of the largest ships to sail the seas.  Fully loaded, the ships cargo could be worth $100 million!  The ship was sailing under a Liberian flag and it's 25 member crew is being held hostage.  Somalia pirates are trained fighters and are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades.  Piracy is considered the most lucrative work in Somalia.

Although this didn't involve a cruise ship, I decided to publish it because piracy is a very serious threat to all ships sailing the open seas.

Top 10 Questions Asked On A Cruise Ship

1.  Do these stairs go up or down?
2.  What do they do with the ice carvings after they melt?
3.  The photos in the photo gallery aren't marked, how do we know which ones are ours?
4.  What time is the Midnight Buffet?
5.  What religion are all those people who are wearing a patch behind their ear?
6.  Is the water in the toilets fresh water or salt?
7.  Does this elevator go to the front of the ship?
8.  What's formal wear?
9.  Does the crew sleep on board?
10. Does the ship generate it's own electricity?