Allure of the Seas Receives A Warm Welcome At Port Everglades

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, arrived at her homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Thursday, Nov 11th, which is Veterans Day here in the U.S. Eagerly awaiting the ship's arrival amidst thousands of U.S. flags were hundreds of onlookers, including Royal Caribbean executives and employees, community organizations and residents, as well as a flotilla of maritime escorts made up of fireboats and private watercrafts. The second of the cruise lines Oasis-class ships made her U.S. debut following a 13-day transatlantic journey from Turku, Finland.

In the upcoming week, Allure will be abuzz with activity, first with hundreds of landscapers boarding the ship to add more than 12,000 live plants to the ship's Central Park neighborhood, as well as other final preparations. NBC's TODAY broadcasts the fourth hour of their show live from Allure on Friday, Nov. 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET. Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb will unveil the diverse line-up of entertainment and innovative onboard amenities that differentiate Allure from Oasis of the Seas. The inaugural activities and events can be followed via webisodes at AllureoftheSeas.com.

In the meantime. the Oasis-class ships made history once again yesterday, Saturday, Nov. 13th, at 5:30 p.m. when Allure of the Seas was joined by sister-ship Oasis of the Seas for a one-of-a-kind visual of the world's two largest ships together for the first time. They met off the Florida coast, where passengers aboard Oasis of the Seas flanked the top decks to wave at the crew onboard Allure and get an up close and personal peek at the world's newest cruise ship. That's Allure in the foreground of the photo here. In a friendly case of sibling rivalry, Allure of the Seas' captain, Hernan Zini, confirms that his ship is five centimeters longer than Oasis of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean launches Allure of the Seas with a refreshing new array of features and onboard amenities. In addition to the signature Oasis-class neighborhood design with seven unique spaces like Central Park and the Coney Island-style Boardwalk, complete with a hand-carved carousel and an AquaTheater, her distinct personality takes center stage presenting new features such as:

• New entertainment offerings including the launch of a partnership with DreamWorks Animation and the Broadway hit, Chicago: The Musical
• 26 dining options including the first Starbucks at sea, a new spin on fine dining at 150 Central Park conceptualized by The Culinary Institute of America alumna Molly Brandt, as well as the Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse, Rita's Cantina Mexican cuisine, and The Boardwalk Dog House
• A wide array of retail options including a BRITTO Gallery fashioned by pop artist Romero Britto and GUESS Accessory boutique
• Innovative technology features such as a 3-D movie theater, iPod docks in suites, self service kiosks, and digital way-finding signage for guests

The official naming ceremony for Allure of the Seas will take place on Nov 28th during a one-night inaugural celebration fundraiser to benefit the United Way chapters of Miami-Dade and Broward counties and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Haiti Fund, among other charities. The godmother of Allure of the Seas will be unveiled during the special ceremony which will be streamed live at 4:30 pm on AllureoftheSeas.com.

A special 4-night sailing on Dec 1st will call at the cruise line's private beach destination of Labadee, along the north coast of Haiti, and Allure of the Seas' inaugural 7-night Western Caribbean itinerary will depart on Dec 5th. Allure of the Seas alternates a Western Caribbean with an Eastern Caribbean 7-night itinerary from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Photos Courtesy of Royal Caribbean Intl.