Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is bearing down on Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and arrival is expected around 8am tomorrow. You can watch as the ship comes in via the Fort Lauderdale Inlet Cam. This is a safe site with a camera pointed in the direction of where Oasis will be coming as she makes her way to pier 18, her new home in Florida.
I suggest going there now as you will need to register in order to see. Tomorrow, log on about 7AM to get in, sit back with a cup of coffee and watch history unfold before your eyes.
We are ecstatic to be serving as the year-round home port for the Oasis of the Seas,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “From conveniences such as the new Terminal 18 and central port location to our rich collection of hotels, restaurants and attractions, Greater Fort Lauderdale looks forward to welcoming these seafaring visitors and invites them to extend their stay.”
Kicking off the festivities will be a “Welcome Flotilla” organized by the Winterfest Boat Parade committee, with watercraft of all sizes meeting up and escorting the ship to its new home at Port Everglades. En route, the ship will pass a 1,500 sq. ft. custom-designed “Welcome to Fort Lauderdale, Oasis of the Seas” sand painting on the shores of the inlet to the port. Cruise enthusiasts will have the opportunity to celebrate and watch the ship approach nearby at a public welcome party at the Jetty Pavilion at John U. Lloyd State Park, including complimentary park admission, refreshments and giveaways.
Upon arrival, the new $75 million, 240,000 square foot Terminal 18 at Port Everglades, the world’s largest single-ship cruise terminal, will receive the vessel. Built specifically for Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis series, the terminal will serve as the home port for both the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas (debuting in late 2010), which expect to generate more than 500,000 cruise passengers annually for Port Everglades.
