Although Royal Caribbean offers cruises out of Miami and Port Canaveral, their Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida feature their newest ship, the Oasis of the Seas. Or, choose from a selection of cheap Royal Caribbean cruises on either the Grandeur or the Independence of the Seas, also out of Port Everglades.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Terminals at Port Everglades
Terminal 18 – This will be the homeport of the Oasis of the Seas when it is launched in December 2009. Terminal 18 is the largest of the Port Everglades cruise terminals and it will be large enough to debark and embark passengers simultaneously through separate sections of the building. Terminal 18 is located in the center of Port Everglades, yet separate from the other cruise terminals to eliminate traffic congestion.
Terminal 25 – This is Royal Caribbean’s other cruise terminal. It is much smaller than Terminal 18, but it is large enough to handle other mega cruise ship classes. Those who choose to park and cruise can use the Midport Parking Garage (US$15 per day).
Caribbean Cruises on Oasis of the Seas
Inaugural Cruise on Oasis of the Seas – Departing from Fort Lauderdale on December 5, 2009, this 7-night cruise will visit Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas), Philipsburg (St. Maarten) and Nassau (Bahamas). The cruise also includes 3 sea days.
Eastern Caribbean Cruises – Departing from Fort Lauderdale, these regular cruises are a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary that is identical to the inaugural cruise. These cruises start sailing on December 12, 2009 and continue until the 2010 Christmas holiday cruise.
Western Caribbean Cruises – Starting in May 2010, the Oasis of the Seas will alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The Western Caribbean itinerary will include Labadee (Royal Caribbean’s private island in Haiti), Costa Maya (Mexico), Cozumel (Mexico), and 3 sea days.
Western Caribbean Holiday Cruise 2010 – This 7-night cruise out of Fort Lauderdale will feature the ports of Labadee (Haiti), Falmouth (Jamaica), Cozumel (Maxico), and 3 sea days. This cruise starts on December 23, 2010.
2011 Cruises on Oasis of the Seas – In 2011, the Oasis of the Seas will continue to offer alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.
Cheap Royal Caribbean Cruises from Fort Lauderdale
Caribbean Cruises on Independence of the Seas – Special pricing is available on select 2009 and 2010 Caribbean cruises. For example, select 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruises are featured on the Royal Caribbean website and start at US$649 pp. Departing from Fort Lauderdale, ports of call include Philipsburg (St. Maarten), Charlotte Amalie (St. Thomas), San Juan (Puerto Rico) and Labadee (Haiti).
Caribbean Cruises on Grandeur of the Seas – Even the regular rates on the Grandeur of the Seas are considerably cheaper than cruises on the Freedom-class and Oasis-class ships. 5-night Western Caribbean cruises are offered as low as US$299 pp.
When the Allure of the Seas is launched in December 2010, it will also use the Port Everglades cruise terminal 18. Her itineraries will offer alternating Western and Eastern Caribbean cruises that feature identical ports of call, just on different days.
Renee Ruggero - Renee is a published travel writer and cruise industry insider with more than 1,000 days on cruise ships, visiting over 50 countries.
