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Port Everglades' first two-ship day includes Odyssey of the Seas inaugural

For the first time in more than 15 months, two cruise ships with passengers will be sailing from Port Everglades on the same day.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

July 30, 2021

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

On July 31 Royal Caribbean International’s new Odyssey of the Seas will embark on its inaugural cruise while Celebrity Edge will depart on its sixth voyage since kicking off US cruising's restart June 26.

In addition, Celebrity Equinox is scheduled to sail on its second voyage Aug. 1, for a total of three ships sailing during the off-season summer months.

'Starting to look like a cruise port again'

'It’s starting to look a lot like a cruise port here again,' Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Jonathan Daniels said. 'After no passengers or revenue for at least 15 months, and significant job loss, it is a greatly welcome restart. The cruise lines and the port are doing all they can to enforce safe protocols to continue sailing.'

Economic impact

Cruises generated nearly $60m in revenue annually at the port prior to the pandemic.

'The vaccine is a game-changer that will inject tourism dollars into our community,' Broward County Mayor Steve Geller said. 'Approximately 6,000 local workers have been directly impacted by the cruise shutdown and another 84,000 residents were employed in the local hospitality and tourism industry. Those jobs have been severely impacted by the virus and the pause in cruise travel.'

Port Everglades was the world's third busiest cruise port pre-pandemic, hosting nearly 4m passenger movements annually.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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