Highlights
Cruising once may have been the province of the rich, but by the 21st Century, the North American-based cruising industry had become a massive economic engine: about 12.5 million passengers spent about $17.6 billion onboard and ashore in 2007, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. While the industry has struggled recently, the companies proved optimistic about growing demand: By the end of 2007, nearly 100 new ships will have been introduced since 2000 -- 8 just in 2007 and more in the pipeline. Several cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean are building monster-sized boats like the Project Genesis class, which will hold 5,400 passengers.
These are requiring several...
These are requiring several...
Cruising once may have been the province of the rich, but by the 21st Century, the North American-based cruising industry had become a massive economic engine: about 12.5 million passengers spent about $17.6 billion onboard and ashore in 2007, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. While the industry has struggled recently, the companies proved optimistic about growing demand: By the end of 2007, nearly 100 new ships will have been introduced since 2000 -- 8 just in 2007 and more in the pipeline. Several cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean are building monster-sized boats like the Project Genesis class, which will hold 5,400 passengers.
These are requiring several ports, such as Fort Lauderdale Florida's Port Everglades, to consider enlarging berths and deepening channels. Cruising is a key part of Florida's economy. In 2006, cruise line spending in Florida topped $5.8 billion and companies paid $5 billion in wages to Florida employees. Miami, Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades are among the busiest ports in North America, accounting for more than half the cruise traffic, but New York and Hawaii are among the fastest-growing embarkation points. The average cruiser remains a 49-year-old person with a household income of more than $100,000, but much of the passenger growth has been due to aggressive marketing to a diverse range of demographics including an entire cruise line aimed at families with children, gay-friendly cruises, amenities designed to be handicapped accessible and younger cruisers seeking more active shore excursions like white-water rafting and rappelling. The types of cruises offered encompass more than the traditional 3-to-10 day vacations with one-day stops in a half-dozen ports. They include day trips to the Caribbean islands, "cruises to nowhere" solely to enable customers to gamble, round-the-world marathons and trans-Atlantic trips that can be cheaper than flying and staying in a hotel. Customer preferences ebb and flow. In 2007, traffic to the Caribbean dipped while demands for trips to and around Europe increased. Patrons are booking their cruises later and later. Cruise lines have striven to attract customers with huge ships that carry thousands upon thousands of passengers. They tout fine dining (even gourmet supper clubs and health-conscious menus), luxurious amenities, gambling casinos, rock climbing walls, exotic ports like Dubai, shipboard Internet cafes and Wi-Fi, lengthy rosters of pre-arranged shore excursions, and experts or celebrities lecturing on everything from languages to art. The industry continues to grow, but it has been hit by one headache after another: rising fuel prices, hurricanes canceling cruises and spooking potential patrons, ship fires, terrorism fears, passenger disappearances, gastro-intestinal illnesses, a soft economy cutting into discretionary spending and the rise of land-based casinos. Some lines have been criticized by environmentalists damaging the eco-system. The North American cruise industry's trade group is the Cruise Lines International Association.
These are requiring several ports, such as Fort Lauderdale Florida's Port Everglades, to consider enlarging berths and deepening channels. Cruising is a key part of Florida's economy. In 2006, cruise line spending in Florida topped $5.8 billion and companies paid $5 billion in wages to Florida employees. Miami, Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades are among the busiest ports in North America, accounting for more than half the cruise traffic, but New York and Hawaii are among the fastest-growing embarkation points. The average cruiser remains a 49-year-old person with a household income of more than $100,000, but much of the passenger growth has been due to aggressive marketing to a diverse range of demographics including an entire cruise line aimed at families with children, gay-friendly cruises, amenities designed to be handicapped accessible and younger cruisers seeking more active shore excursions like white-water rafting and rappelling. The types of cruises offered encompass more than the traditional 3-to-10 day vacations with one-day stops in a half-dozen ports. They include day trips to the Caribbean islands, "cruises to nowhere" solely to enable customers to gamble, round-the-world marathons and trans-Atlantic trips that can be cheaper than flying and staying in a hotel. Customer preferences ebb and flow. In 2007, traffic to the Caribbean dipped while demands for trips to and around Europe increased. Patrons are booking their cruises later and later. Cruise lines have striven to attract customers with huge ships that carry thousands upon thousands of passengers. They tout fine dining (even gourmet supper clubs and health-conscious menus), luxurious amenities, gambling casinos, rock climbing walls, exotic ports like Dubai, shipboard Internet cafes and Wi-Fi, lengthy rosters of pre-arranged shore excursions, and experts or celebrities lecturing on everything from languages to art. The industry continues to grow, but it has been hit by one headache after another: rising fuel prices, hurricanes canceling cruises and spooking potential patrons, ship fires, terrorism fears, passenger disappearances, gastro-intestinal illnesses, a soft economy cutting into discretionary spending and the rise of land-based casinos. Some lines have been criticized by environmentalists damaging the eco-system. The North American cruise industry's trade group is the Cruise Lines International Association.
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Cruise Marks 100 Years After Titanic's Failed Voyage
CNNMorgan Mullinix was laughed at when she'd tell friends where she was headed. They thought she was crazy when she signed up for an eight-day Titanic cruise chartered to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship's demise. "I get tired of it," she...Tags: Human Interest, James Cameron, Bars and Clubs, Lifestyle and Leisure, Disco (genre)
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Cruise Passengers Return Home After Being Robbed in Mexico
KTLA NewsLONG BEACH, Calif. (KTLA) -- The Carnival Splendor has set sail on another Mexican Riviera cruise, after passengers from a previous cruise were robbed at gunpoint during an excursion. The tourists were part of a weeklong cruise that left from the Port of...Tags: Cruise Line Ports, Travel Alerts, Theft, Travel, Trips and Vacations
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Local Teacher Gets Life for Killing Wife on Cruise
KTLA NewsLOS ANGELES, Calif. (KTLA) -- A local teacher who pleaded guilty to killing his wife on a Carnival Cruise ship has been sentenced to life in prison. Robert McGill, 57, admitted killing his wife of five years, Shirley McGill, on July 14 after an...Tags: Cruise Line Ports, Trials, Travel, Crimes, Tourism and Leisure
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Passengers Contract Norovirus on Princess Ship for 2nd Time
KTLA NewsMIAMI -- Yet another Princess Cruises ship has returned to port with passengers sick from a severe stomach virus. Last week, the Ruby and Crown Princess ships both had norovirus outbreaks involving nearly 500 people during Caribbean cruises. On...Tags: Symptoms, Cruise Line Ports, Viral Diseases and Infections, Caribbean Islands, Fort Lauderdale
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NAVY WEEK-HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER LOS ANGELES
Gayle Anderson was live in Lawndale for "IT'S NAVY WEEK-HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER LOS ANGELES" Members of the U.S. Navy, in town for NAVY WEEK, volunteered to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles. The overwhelming need for...Tags: U.S. Navy, Armed Forces, Aircraft Carriers, Travel, Abraham Lincoln
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NAVY WEEK: St. Francis Center
Gayle Anderson was live in downtown Los Angeles to continue her series of NAVY WEEK reports at the St. Francis Center, a facility that serves homeless and near homeless families and individuals in the under-served neighborhoods of Greater Los Angeles in...Tags: U.S. Navy, Elections, Armed Forces, World War II (1939-1945), Travel
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ITS NAVY WEEK-ALL FOUR SHIPS
Gayle Anderson was live in San Pedro for "IT'S NAVY WEEK-ALL FOUR SHIPS" at the Port of Los Angeles to wrap up her weeklong reports on NAVY WEEK with a look at the cruiser U.S.S. Princeton, the destroyer U.S.S. Chafee, and the minesweeper U.S.S. Champion....Tags: U.S. Navy, Elections, Armed Forces, Travel, World War II (1939-1945)
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Woman Reported Missing From San Diego Cruise Ship
KTLA NewsSAN DIEGO (KTLA) -- The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a 63-year-old woman who was reported missing after a cruise ship docked in San Diego. Closed-circuit video aboard the Celebrity Millennium shows the woman, apparently alone, climbed over a railing...Tags: San Diego (San Diego, California), U.S. Coast Guard, Travel, Celebrity Cruises, Puerto Rico
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New Clue Surfaces in Search for Missing Disney Cruise Employee
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- There is a new clue in the disappearance of a of a 24-year-old British crew member from the Disney Cruise ship "Wonder."
Rebecca Coriam, 24, of Chester, England was reported missing back in March after failing to show up for her job...Tags: United Kingdom, U.S. Coast Guard, England, Travel, Mexico
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The New Way to Show Off Your Vacation Photos
Rob SchwandtIn the past, you would have to wait for the photos to develop at the store before you could show them off, but now you can show them off in real time thanks to these two apps. var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true}; Share | Twitter and...Tags: CyberGuy, Facebook, Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, Travel
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Hundreds of Penguins Killed After Massive Oil Spill
CNNSOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN -- On an island chain located halfway between Africa and Argentina, local authorities say a massive penguin rescue operation is under way. A mix of island officials and resident volunteers are struggling to save tens of thousands...Tags: Environmental Issues, Atlantic Ocean, Wildlife, Local Government, Emergency Incidents
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