Mini-cruises ready to sail from Port Canaveral

[Jason]

PORT CANAVERAL -- - A fledgling Orlando-based cruise company announced plans Wednesday to start "mini-cruises" from Port Canaveral in late November.

Paradise Caribbean Cruise Lines plans to operate a refurbished 38-year-old, midsized ship renamed the Orient Queen on two-night trips to the Bahamas and one-night "cruises to nowhere."

Deborah Warner, a spokeswoman for the cruise line, said the company will release details about its cruise prices when it begins marketing its voyages in June. She said details about the cruise line's ownership group still were being worked out.

Paradise Caribbean will try to compete at Port Canaveral alongside major cruise lines -- Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean -- where other small cruise companies have failed.

Jeff Hentz, a marketing consultant for Paradise Caribbean who presented a slide show of the plan to Port Canaveral commissioners Wednesday, was an executive at several small cruise lines at Port Canaveral that have gone out of business in recent years.

Hentz was president and chief executive officer of Ocean Club Cruises, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late-2003, several months after starting operations. Hentz also served in executive positions with Cape Canaveral Cruise Line and Premier Cruise Lines, which also are defunct. Hentz said the Orient Queen has undergone $10 million in renovations.

The 525-foot-long ship currently has a maximum capacity of 922 passengers, but the capacity could be increased for the Port Canaveral voyages, company officials said. In comparison, the Port Canaveral-based Disney Magic and Disney Wonder each are 964 feet long and have a maximum capacity of 2,400 passengers.

Debut in 1968:

The Orient Queen previously was named Starward. It debuted in 1968, sailing out of Miami as one of the original vessels for the Norwegian Caribbean Line. Recently, the ship has been operated by Abou Mehri Cruises, a cruise line in the Middle East, according to Cruise Travel magazine.

That cruise line's Web site indicates the ship this summer will operate Mediterranean cruises from Beirut, Lebanon, to Turkey and Greece. Hentz said the ship has 392 cabins, three restaurants, two swimming pools, a casino, fitness center, spa, and a number of lounges and bars.

Also representing Paradise Caribbean at Wednesday's meeting were Capt. Munir Kahn, who was introduced as the cruise line's president; and Capt. Emilio Tsokoeoulous, who was introduced as the line's managing director.

Arrival in November:

Company officials expect the ship to arrive at Port Canaveral between Nov. 15 and Nov. 21, with cruises starting about a week later. Hentz said the itinerary calls for two-night cruises stopping at Grand Bahama Island that would depart Port Canaveral each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; and one-night cruises to nowhere each Friday.

He said the company will focus its marketing on Orlando's large time-share condominium/resort industry, seeking many of its customers as part of vacation packages in Orlando, the Space Coast and elsewhere.

The Orient Queen is expected to operate out of Cruise Terminal 3, one of the small terminals on the south side of the port, near Jetty Park. Canaveral Port Authority officials said Paradise Caribbean's plan fits their agenda to offer a wider variety of cruises.

Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean operate three- to seven-day cruises from Canaveral to the Bahamas and Caribbean. Paradise Caribbean would give Canaveral a shorter cruise offering.

"It's very exciting because (Paradise Caribbean) fills that slot" for short cruises, said Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Stan Payne. Port officials also want a cruise line to offer 10- to 14-day cruises from Canaveral.

Source: Scott Blake, Florida Today

[DaCruzNut]

She's a really nice little ship... She used to sail out of Miami, along with the Sunward II and Seaward. I loved her sister ship, the Sunward II, when she was run by the "old" NCL, before they were takenb over by star cruise lines.

She will be a welcome addition the the regal Empress, the only other classic liner still in service.

I will definately give her a try, if the reviews are OK.

[BoatrideLover]

I would just LOVE to see this work out!! My dad passed away in October, 2004, and since May, 2005, we now have my mom with us. She was unable to make it living on her own because of health conditions and restrictions. Because she is with us now and we have no one to help us, we have decided that the most we can go away at one time is 2 nights. Since we are lucky enough to live 30 minutes from the coast in central Florida, we have been going to the beach one weekend a month just for overnight, with a 2-night trip planned in a couple of weeks. Because of this, cruises have been out. But if this company works out, and we could take a one or two-night cruise out of Port Canaveral which is so close to home for us...well, this would just be perfect. I just hope the prices aren't outrageous!

Thanks for posting this info, Jason, and thanks for the picture, Jeff!

Dawn

[ruag8tr2]

I will also give her a try. We in Florida have been waiting for another small company to jump in the mix. I hope her pricing is competitive and the reviews are good. Thanks for the photo, Jeff.

Dennis

[Mebert]

I hope this new venture works out. I wonder if the past failures of the short cruises at Port Canveral might have something to do with the port location.

They also have to compete with Imperial Majesty Regal Empress that has 2 night sailings out of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

[sailingrose]

I too live close to Port Canaveral and would give this line a try. I love the classic liners and really miss them in the age of glitz, rock walls and movies under the stars. Can't wait to hear more.

[KeithnRita]

Now if only we could get one to cruise the Ohio River....