Port Canaveral welcomes world’s second-largest cruise ship

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — Royal Caribbean’s new Utopia of the Seas is bound for Port Canaveral.

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The world’s second largest cruise ship will homeport here in Central Florida.

The ship has more than forty restaurants, bars and lounges, five swimming pools, two casinos, and a variety of entertainment venues.

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Local resident Ashly Payeur told WFTV, “It’s going to bring a lot of growth, a lot of opportunities, different people.”

Cruise expert Stewart Chiron added, “Normally these ships would go into a like seven-night rotation, and you’d have an older ship come in and do the three and four nights. And you know, here they’re bringing a brand-new ship in to do three and four nights, not to mention they’re bringing in Star of the Seas into Port Canaveral in 2025, which will be sister to Icon of the Seas. So, a lot of exciting things happening there in Port Canaveral.”

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Utopia of the Seas has a capacity of more than 5600 passengers and will depart with her first paying passengers on July 19, 2024.

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