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Cruise: Palm Beach, Tampa

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Palm Beach Welcomes Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line


M/V Grand Celebration will soon be sailing two-night Bahamas cruises from Palm Beach.
Photo/Bahama Paradise Cruise Line

The Port of Palm Beach will soon be hosting a new cruise line. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line will be offering alternate day sailings to Grand Bahama from Palm Beach as early as February with its MV Grand Celebration.

"This is a tremendous day for the Port of Palm Beach and Palm Beach County," said Port Executive Director Manuel Almira, PPM®. "The MV Grand Celebration is absolutely gorgeous and we are ecstatic to have this wonderful cruise ship sail out of our port."

Grand Celebration has 10 public decks, 751 large cabins (more than 60 percent of which have ocean views) and 14 terrace suites. Amenities include five pools, a theater, spa and fitness center, five restaurants, and a casino. It can carry up to 1,800 passengers and 575 crew members.

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line will offer two-night Bahamas cruises and cruise and resort stay vacation packages from four to eight nights. Grand Celebration will sail every other day of the week from Palm Beach.

According to Port District Chairman Edward Oppel, the Grand Celebration agreement "will generate on average nearly $3.9 million of annual net revenue as well as bring significant local spending to Palm Beach County." 

Cruise Magazine Publisher/Editor Selects Port Tampa Bay As ‘Best Kept Secret’ Port

Port Tampa Bay has been named "Best Kept Secret Port" by Porthole Cruise Magazine Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Bill Panoff in his 2015 Editor-in-Chief Award list, which recognizes the editor’s personal experiences that he feels have "gone above and beyond in terms of service, quality and excellence."

"While Florida in general has always been a hub for cruising, Tampa has made great strides in becoming a major player in cruising from the state," writes Mr. Panoff. "The city offers so much for cruisers to do before or after their cruise, and with more cruise lines now calling the port home, I guess it won't be a secret for much longer."

The winners will be announced in the February 2015 issue, which hits newsstands January 14. The winners are listed in their entirety online at Porthole.com.

"Port Tampa Bay is indeed a thriving cruise port, home porting several of the world’s greatest lines. It’s a thrill to be recognized for our service, quality and overall customer experience here at Port Tampa Bay," said Port President Paul Anderson. "Our team is certainly deserving of this award. They consistently offer friendly and attentive service in their ongoing efforts to provide a fun and memorable vacation experience."
 

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