Port CANAVERAL - U-Emmanouil Kasselas, ukapteni weRoyal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, ubize umkhumbi "umdlwane wakhe omncane" amahora ngemuva kokumisa ePort Canaveral ngoMsombuluko.
"Inja enkulu" ifaneleka kakhulu.
Nezinye izinja ziyeza.
I-Freedom of the Seas iwumkhumbi omkhulukazi emhlabeni wonke wokuhamba ngomkhumbi, uhamba ngaphezu kwamamitha angu-1,100 ubude futhi uphethe abagibeli abangafika ku-4,375. Umkhumbi wokuqala kwemine emikhulukazi ezoqala ukuhamba usuka ePort Canaveral phakathi kwamanje no-2012, kanti izikhulu zezokuvakasha nezamachweba zathi ukuba khona kwazo lapha kuzongenisa izigidi emalini engeziwe yezokuvakasha futhi kuqinise isithunzi sale ndawo njengebamba elikhulu ebhizinisini lokuhamba ngomkhumbi.
Babhanga kubagibeli abahamba ngomkhumbi abeza eBrevard County usuku noma ezimbili ngaphambi kohambo lwabo lokuyohlala emahhotela endawo, badle ezindaweni zokudlela futhi bavakashele ezinye zezindawo eziheha izivakashi.
"Namuhla isikhathi esibalulekile emlandweni wechweba," kusho u-J. Stanley Payne, isikhulu esiphezulu ePort Canaveral, ngoMsombuluko kulandela uhambo olufushane kanye nomcimbi ogibele iFreedom of the Seas, ephawula ukuncintisana okushubile okuvela emachwebeni emhlabeni wonke kuya. amadili avikelekile nemikhumbi emikhulu.
U-Payne wengeze wathi: “Sizwa sengathi lona ungusayizi ofanele, futhi usayizi ofanele wemakethe esinayo.”
I-Freedom of the Seas engamathani angu-154,000, ebibukeka ikwazi ukugila izimanga i-Monarch yase-Royal Caribbean yase-Monarch of the Seas, eme eduze, maduze izoba nenkampani enkulu.
Lokhu kuwa, iCarnival Cruise Lines iletha umkhumbi wayo omkhulukazi kuze kube manje ePort Canaveral, i-Carnival Dream engamathani angu-130,000. Iphupho limumatha abagibeli abangu-3,652.
Bese i-Disney Cruise Line ihlela ukusekela imikhumbi yayo emikhulu emibili emisha, i-Dream and the Fantasy, e-Port Canaveral ngo-2011 nango-2012. Imikhumbi emisha ye-Disney izoba nesisindo esingamathani angu-122,000 ngamunye nomthamo wokuhlala kabili wabagibeli abangu-2,500.
Nakuba sekube nokukhula muva nje ekudumeni kohambo lwezinsuku ezintathu kuya kwezine, ochwepheshe bezimboni ngokuvamile bavumelana nemikhumbi emikhulu kanye neminikelo yohambo olude kufanele ihlangane kahle nalokho osekunikezwa ePort Canaveral.
"Bathandwa kakhulu abathandi be-cruise, abangafuni ukuthatha uhambo olufushane," kusho uPaul Motter, umongameli we-CruiseMates, incwadi ye-Internet cruise guidebook, mayelana nohambo olude.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi kufanele ucabange ngawo njengomkhiqizo we-additive cruise ongeke uqhudelane nomkhiqizo wezinsuku ezintathu nezine. Imikhumbi ye-Freedom-class yaseRoyal Caribbean idume kakhulu ngenani elikhulu labagibeli abajwayelekile, futhi iPort Canaveral inenhlanhla enkulu ngokuba nayo,” kusho uMotter.
U-Oivind Mathisen, umhleli we-Cruise Industry News, uthe ngezikhathi zezomnotho ezinzima, ukuhamba ngomkhumbi okufushane kuyathandeka kodwa kule minyaka embalwa edlule, umkhuba kube uhambo lwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi imboni yezokuvakasha iye yaguquguquka kakhulu - ukulungisa izidingo nezimo zemakethe, ihlinzeka ngobude obuhlukene bokuhamba ngomkhumbi, ukuhambisa imikhumbi emachwebeni ahlukene, ukuthuthukisa umkhiqizo we-onboard, ngaphezu kwamasu entengo okugcwalisa imikhumbi," kusho uMathisen.
I-Freedom of the Seas ihambe ngoMsombuluko ntambama nabagibeli abangu-3,900 ohambweni lwezinsuku eziyisithupha oluya entshonalanga yeCaribbean. Lapho ubuya, umkhumbi uzobe uhambisa uhambo lwezinsuku eziyisikhombisa usuka ePort Canaveral uye empumalanga nasentshonalanga yeCaribbean.
Abagibeli baqale ukugibela ngoMsombuluko ekuseni, ngemuva kwamahora ambalwa umkhumbi umile ngo-6 ekuseni e-Port Canaveral's Terminal 10. Izivakashi zamukelwa ngezingilazi ze-champagne, futhi eziningi zazo zamosha isikhathi esincane ngaphambi kokubheka izinsiza zomkhumbi.
"Bengicabanga ukuthi idolobha," kusho u-Issie Bell-Yovich, isakhamuzi saseWest Melbourne esasithatha uhambo lwe-honeymoon nomyeni wakhe, uGeorge.
UBell-Yovich uthe uke wahamba ohambweni olufushane kodwa uthanda olude ngoba uyakwazi ukukhulula impahla bese ujwayela kahle indawo ohlala kuyo.
"Kukuvumela ukuthi uphumule," kusho yena.
Izikhulu zasendaweni yaseBrevard ezivakashele umkhumbi zahlangana nabasebenzi ngesikhathi somcimbi okhethekile wasemini zithe izivakashi ezingaphandle kwedolobha kufanele zikhokhise isizinda sezokuvakasha endaweni futhi zingenise izigidi zemali eyengeziwe.
“Sizoba nezivakashi ezintsha ezingu-7,000 kuya kweziyi-8,000 edolobheni,” kusho uRocky Randels, imeya yaseCape Canaveral. “Abaningi babo bazobe behlala emahhotela ethu. Bayobuza: 'Ngidla kuphi? Ngizoyaphi esitolo sezidakamizwa?' ”
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- It's the first of four huge cruise ships that will begin sailing from Port Canaveral between now and 2012, and tourism and port officials said their presence here will generate millions in additional tourism spending and solidify the area's reputation as a major player in the cruise business.
- They're banking on cruise passengers coming to Brevard County a day or two prior to their cruise to stay in local hotels, eat at restaurants and visit some of the area's tourist attractions.
- Stanley Payne, chief executive officer of Port Canaveral, said Monday following a brief tour and ceremony on board the Freedom of the Seas, noting the heated competition from ports worldwide to secure deals with the massive ships.
