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Cruise Port of Fort Lauderdale

Also known as Port Everglades, the cruise port in Fort Lauderdale is a popular turnaround port in Florida for cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico.

Useful Links:
Fort Lauderdale Port (Official Site)
Port Everglades Ship Schedule
Visit Lauderdale

cruisetravelmama

⚓️Living 6 months per year on cruise ships with my husband @captain_tony_ruggero
📍Currently onboard Discovery Princess
❤️Mom of twins
Ruby Princess and Island Princess were in Ketchika Ruby Princess and Island Princess were in Ketchikan with Discovery Princess today. ➡️ Can you see @captain_tony_ruggero on the bridge wing? ➡️ He was doing some training today and had one of his deck officers driving the ship on departure.
Which Princess cruise ships sound the Love Boat ho Which Princess cruise ships sound the Love Boat horn when departing a port? ➡️ When departing Ketchikan, Alaska today, Discovery Princess sounded their Love Boat horn. ➡️ Only the Princess Cruises’ Royal class and Sphere class ships are equipped with a Love Boat Horn that they sound on departure from some ports. ➡️ However, some ports have noise restrictions and do not allow the horn to be blown. ➡️ What do you think of the Love Boat horn?
Rainy day in Ketchikan today ➡️ This week’s weath Rainy day in Ketchikan today ➡️ This week’s weather in Ketchikan is cold, wet, and dark. The temperature is 15C or 59F and it has been raining all day. You can see all the umbrellas as people are coming back to the ship before departure. ➡️ Last week’s weather was completely different. On August 13th, Discovery Princess was in Ketchikan and it was warm and sunny with temperatures of 24C or 75F. In fact, we went to the beach for the afternoon. ➡️ Today I didn’t go ashore. Instead, I slept in and stayed in the cabin having a lazy day. ➡️ Do you ever stay onboard when the cruise ship is in port?
Rock Opera on Discovery Princess with Guest Tenor Rock Opera on Discovery Princess with Guest Tenor Craig Foster ➡️ Last night’s early production show in the Princess Theater at 7:30pm was full. ➡️ This was my first time seeing Rock Opera since joining Discovery Princess on July 25th. Therefore, it was my first time seeing the performance with Guest Tenor Craig Foster. ➡️ Great show last night!! 👏👏👏
Hike to a glacier in Whittier, Alaska ➡️ The Por Hike to a glacier in Whittier, Alaska ➡️ The Portage Pass Trail is an out and back hike to Portage Lake with stunning views of Portage Glacier. ➡️ It is located in the Chugach National Forest and the trailhead is about a 30-minute walk from the Whittier cruise terminal (2 km / 1.3 miles). ➡️ There is a paved trail from the cruise terminal to the sign that indicates where the trailhead is. ➡️ AllTrails describes this hike as a “Moderate” 7.4 km (4.6 miles) hike with an overall elevation gain of 446 metres (1,463 feet). ➡️ The trail is well maintained with some steep inclines. ➡️ We did this trail on August 8th which was a warm, sunny day. I was happy to have worn bug repellent and layers, though. (There were some small annoying flies in many areas.) ➡️ We also started early, around 9am and we didn’t see many other hikers until later in the morning. ➡️ It took us about two hours to get from the ship to Portage Lake. We spent about an hour near the lake and then it took about one hour to get back to the cruise ship (about four hours total).
Have you cruised under a bridge? ➡️ Departure fro Have you cruised under a bridge? ➡️ Departure from Vancouver includes cruising under the Lions Gate Bridge which connects Vancouver and North Vancouver. ➡️ Did you know that cruise ships need to perfectly time the arrivals and departures into Vancouver with the tides in order to fit under the bridge? ➡️ This is the view from the crew deck on the forward part of the ship.
Sailaway Party from Vancouver ➡️ Watch the Disco Sailaway Party from Vancouver ➡️ Watch the Discovery Princess singers and dancers entertain the guests on the open deck during the Sailaway Party from Vancouver ➡️ These singers and dancers will be very busy this week performing three different shows (two performances each show, one at 7:30 and one at 9:30). ➡️ Lots of energy on the open deck this afternoon with warm weather and guests excited to begin their cruise. Also check out how warm it was today!! ➡️ Do you enjoy watching the Sailaway?
The Farewell Parade marks the end of another cruis The Farewell Parade marks the end of another cruise on Discovery Princess. ➡️ Many of the crew come down to the Piazza for the Farewell Parade which is an opportunity to say goodbye to the guests that will be leaving the cruise ship tomorrow in Vancouver. ➡️ This moment is bittersweet as we also say goodbye to our daughters that have been onboard with us for the last two weeks, but head home tomorrow, too.
What to do in Ketchikan on a hot day ➡️ Rotary Be What to do in Ketchikan on a hot day ➡️ Rotary Beach in Ketchikan is a great way to spend an afternoon if you’ve already done all the touristy things in Ketchikan. ➡️ This beach is a mix of sand and rocks with tide pools that often have starfish, hermit crabs, small octopus, snails, and clams. ➡️ A cement causeway allows tidewaters to come in and warm up in a protected pond. ➡️ Yesterday it was a hot day in Ketchikan and local kids were swimming in the water. (It’s not that warm, lol). ➡️ We were fortunate to see a starfish while we were there. ➡️ Rotary Beach is about three miles south of Downtown Ketchikan and offers a scenic view overlooking Nichol’s Passage. ➡️ Rotary Beach is also known as “Bugge Beach,” after Martin Bugge, who originally owned the beach as part of a mining claim. ➡️ To get to Rotary Beach, you can take the public bus, “Silver Line - South” (bus stop in front of Dock 2 and Visitor Info).
Lunch with the Captain when you’re the wife and fa Lunch with the Captain when you’re the wife and family of the Captain. ➡️ By special I mean it was the second MTG lunch of this 7-day cruise. ➡️ Our daughters are onboard this week and Captain Tony and I wanted to have lunch with the top three most travelled couples along with our family. ➡️ Executive Chef Claudiu Rusu prepared an exclusive menu for us that was incredible. * Assorted Sushi * Linguine al Pesto * Poached King Crab Legs * Beef Medallion ➡️ If that wasn’t enough, the dessert was a chocolate Cinderella shoe filled with cream and fruit. ➡️ Typically there is a lunch for the top 40 guests (which we did earlier this cruise). This second lunch was to invite the top 3 couples to have lunch with our family. ➡️ The couples have cruised with our daughters in the past and loved the opportunity to share a meal with us. Many of our guests feel like our extended family.
The Officer Laundrette on the Discovery Princess i The Officer Laundrette on the Discovery Princess is where I do my personal laundry. Here’s a tour of one of the officer laundrettes on Discovery Princess. ➡️ This Officer Laundrette is very close to our cabin, so it’s super convenient rather than using the closest guest laundrette which would be all the way at the back of the ship. ➡️ The officer laundrettes are free for the officers and their relatives to use, whereas the guest laundrettes cost $3 per wash and $3 per dry. ➡️ Today is the first sea day of a cruise which means that the officers’ laundrettes are not busy in the morning. ➡️ They’ll get busy between noon and 3pm, and in the evenings, when many of the officers are on a break. ➡️ If the officer laundrettes are busy then I’ll use a guest laundrette. ➡️ I could send my laundry down to the ship’s laundry with Tony’s laundry, but I choose to do it myself.
In Skagway, if your cruise ship is docked at the F In Skagway, if your cruise ship is docked at the Forward Railroad Dock, you will need to take a water shuttle to get into town and back to the cruise ship. ➡️ It takes only a couple minutes for the tender ride when the weather is good.
Best Entertainment Team - Discovery Princess Chec Best Entertainment Team - Discovery Princess Check out Cruise Director Jayson film some social media content during our day in Glacier Bay. You can check out the finished video on Jayson’s account @cruisedirectorjayson
Cheap Excursion in Juneau, Alaska ➡️ The Mendenha Cheap Excursion in Juneau, Alaska ➡️ The Mendenhall Glacier Explorer is around $90 pp when booked on the cruise ship, which is considered a cheap excursion in Alaska. ➡️ This is a three hour shore excursion that includes a 30 minute bus ride each way and approximately two hours to explore independently. ➡️ Great photo opportunities of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. ➡️ Self-guided trails includes Nugget Falls which is about a one hour round trip walk from the base of the Visitor Center. (See previous reel for more details about Nugget Falls). ➡️ Visit scenic Photo Point Trail, which winds along Mendenhall Lake for an unobstructed view of the glacier’s face. ➡️ Stop at the Visitor Center for an elevated view of the glacier and a look at the interactive exhibits or buy a souvenir from the bookstore. ➡️ You can do a similar tour with an independent operator for about $65. Independent excursions are sold near the Goldbelt Tram station, on the boardwalk. ✅ Save this reel for your next cruise to Alaska
Easy and accessible trail in Juneau to see a water Easy and accessible trail in Juneau to see a waterfall ➡️ The Nugget Falls Trail in Juneau, Alaska, is an easy, flat, 2-mile round-trip walk starting near the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center. ➡️ It leads past the Tongass rainforest to a massive 377-foot waterfall sitting beside Mendenhall Lake and glacier. ➡️ It takes about 45 to 60 minutes to go out and back as well as take a few photos while you are there. ➡️ The elevation gain is minimal at about 114 feet (35 meters). It’s mostly flat. ➡️ There are two routes to get there. ➡️ The main route is accessible for strollers and wheelchairs. The surface is paved asphalt and packed gravel in some sections. However, the final approach to the falls is a gravel beach. ➡️ The other path is gravel with some water crossings. It is less crowded but not accessible for those with limited mobility. ➡️ To visit Nugget Falls, there are shore excursions to Mendenhall Visitor Center. Alternatively, independent shuttles go to Mendenhall Glacier that offer a couple of hours to walk and explore.
Watch cruise ship gangway get brought back on to s Watch cruise ship gangway get brought back on to ship. ➡️ In Ketchikan, as well as many ports, one gangway belongs to the port and is disconnected with the help of a forklift. ➡️ Additionally, there is a gangway that belongs to the ship that is disconnected and pulled back onto the ship before departure. ➡️ The ship remains alongside until the gangways are disconnected. Once the final gangway is brought onboard, then the lines are let go and the ship can move away from the dock.w
Best hike in Ketchikan ➡️ The Deer Mountain Trail Best hike in Ketchikan ➡️ The Deer Mountain Trail in Ketchikan, Alaska is classified as a “Hard” hike according to the All Trails app. ➡️ However, we only hiked to the first lookout, which is a fraction of the whole Deer Mountain hike. ➡️ Allow yourself 3.5 hours to get to the first lookout and back to the ship. ➡️ The walk from the cruise ship berth to the trailhead is about a 35 to 45 minutes to walk, depending on which dock your cruise ship is at. ➡️ The hike itself from the Deer Mountain trailhead to the first lookout point is 1.7km (1 mile). A marker just before the lookout indicates that the elevation is 1,500 feet (457 metres). ➡️ However, All Trails indicates that the hike has an elevation gain of 330 metres from trailhead. ➡️ It takes about one hour to hike from the trailhead to the first lookout (that includes stopping for rest breaks, lol). ➡️ The hike back down from the lookout point to the trailhead takes less time (about 30 minutes). Be careful of the slippery rocks on the way down. ➡️ Allow yourself about 20-30 minutes at the lookout point to take photos and enjoy the view.
Timelapse view of cruise ship departure from Vanco Timelapse view of cruise ship departure from Vancouver. 🚢 Watching the departure from Vancouver on the starboard side of the cruise ship allows you to see the mountains, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. 🚢 Alternatively, if you were to watch the departure from the port side of the ship you would be able to see the lines be cast off from the ship, Canada Place, and Stanley Park. 🚢 Or you may be watching the Sailway party on the open deck and not really be paying much attention to the scenery. 🚢 Where will you be watching the Sailaway in Vancouver?
First Farewell Parade of the contract had great en First Farewell Parade of the contract had great energy by the guests and crew. 🚢 This morning, the officers and crew came together in the Piazza for the Farewell Parade. 🚢 The Captain thanked everyone for choosing Discovery Princess and encouraged the guests to come back when we are in Mexico. He also thanked the crew for taking such great care of the guests. 🚢 The cruise director encouraged everyone to cheer for their favourite department. 🚢 The “winning” group were the cabin stewards, with the loudest clapping and cheering by the guests. 🚢 Just prior to the Farewell Parade was the Culinary Demonstration in the Princess Theater with a Tour of the Galley that followed the Farewell Parade.
The cruise ship’s horn is sounded when there is fo The cruise ship’s horn is sounded when there is fog. Do you know how often it is used when fog is encountered? 🚢 The Discovery Princess sees a lot of fog during this Alaska season, so it’s good to understand what it means when you hear the ship’s horn. 🚢 Today is the last day of the cruise as Discovery Princess heads south to Vancouver on this 7-day Alaska cruise. 🚢 If you have a balcony cabin or you are out on deck, you will for sure hear the horn if there is fog. 🚢 When there are two miles or less of restricted visibility (fog) there will be one prolonged blast on the ship’s horn every two minutes. 🚢 Have you cruised when there is fog?
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