Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean – Courtesy: Shutterstock — Wayleebird
The enormous Allure of the Seas, owned by Royal Caribbean International, arrived in Port Canaveral early on Wednesday to begin an exceptional home-port stay.
A ship that big will travel twice a week from a single port, instead of just once a week, for the first time ever at any port.
The twice-weekly sailings of the Allure from Port Canaveral, according to Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Murray, show that Royal Caribbean is certain there is a substantial demand for reservations on the ship.
“It shows you how strong their customer base is here at the port,” added Murray.
With 2,748 staterooms, 5,496 double occupancy, and 6,828 total people, the Allure of the Seas can accommodate large parties. It is the fourth-largest cruise ship in the world. Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, is based in Port Canaveral, the busiest cruise port worldwide.
The Adventure of the Seas and the Mariner of the Seas are two more Royal Caribbean ships that will be stationed at Port Canaveral during the winter months. Anthem of the Seas and Vision of the Seas are two Royal Caribbean ships that are scheduled to call at Port Canaveral during the winter months.
The Allure of the Seas will depart Port Canaveral on Mondays and Fridays after her debut Wednesday-to-Monday voyage, with the majority of the voyages calling at Nassau and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island.
Port Canaveral will benefit from Allure of the Seas’ twice-weekly sailings rather than her once-weekly sailings. This is due to the fact that fees associated with cruise ship dockings and passenger counts contribute to the port’s cruise earnings. Potential revenue increases with the number of sailings per month.
Although the Allure has made port-of-call trips at Port Canaveral in the past, this is the first time it has been based there.
There are 18 decks, 2,054 crew members, 23 dining options, 17 bars and lounges, and five places specifically designed for younger guests and teenagers on board the Allure of the Seas. In 2010, it set sail for the first time.
A nine-story zip line, two FlowRider surf simulators, twin rock climbing walls, ice skating, mini-golf, the Sports Court, the H2O Zone children’s aquapark, and an adults-only Solarium are just a few of the attractions available at The Allure.
Olympic-level skaters at the Studio B ice-skating arena, high divers, aerialists, slackliners, and other artists at the AquaTheater, and “Mamma Mia!” performances at the Royal Theater are just a few of the ship’s entertainment offerings.
At Port Canaveral, the Allure of the Seas will give way to an even larger vessel in July of next year: the Utopia of the Seas. Presently being constructed, the Utopia is scheduled to launch and sail a similar twice-weekly schedule out of Port Canaveral.
The Utopia, which will be powered by cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas, will be the first of Royal Caribbean’s six “Oasis Class” ships.
Liquefied natural gas is already used by the Carnival Mardi Gras and the Disney Wish, two other ships stationed in Port Canaveral.
historic year-end figures
For the budget year 2022–2023 that concluded on September 30, Port Canaveral announced record year-end income, profitability, and passenger counts on Wednesday.
The amount of operating revenue was $190.75 million. Cruise ship operations accounted for $116.71 million of total, followed by cruise passenger parking at $41.30 million, cargo operations at $20.54 million, rentals at $5.23 million, recreation at $3.94 million, and other revenue sources at $3.02 million.
The $88.73 million port earnings are allocated to debt reduction and port development initiatives.
6.78 million people took multiday cruises, an increase of more than 66 percent from 4.07 million passengers in the previous year. When a passenger boards a home-ported ship at the start of their journey and departs at the end of their journey, the cruise industry counts them twice. A passenger’s count is just once when they stop at a port of call.
According to Murray, the average number of passengers occupying a cabin on a cruise ship departing from Port Canaveral is approximately 110 percent of the ship’s capacity for double occupancy. This is especially true for trips that feature a large number of families traveling with little children.
Additionally, the twice-daily Victory 1 gambling ship carried 143,938 passengers in total, an increase of more than 4 percent from the previous year.
7.10 million tons of cargo were transported, an increase of more than 8 percent over the year before.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.