RIVIERA BEACH, FL --  "The first ones!" shouted Nancy LaRiviere as she boarded the Bahamas Celebration.

She and her mother Rita were the very first two passengers boarding the big boat Monday, which was preparing for its maiden voyage from the Port of Palm Beach.
 
It was Nancy's maiden voyage too! "My first cruise, yeah!" she smiled.

It wasn't Rita's first cruise, though. In the past however, she'd travelled farther to enjoy a cruise. "We used to go to Ft. Lauderdale to go, so this is great. It's only about a half an hour," she says.

The ship made its way into the Port of Palm Beach shortly after 1:00 p.m. after steaming its way from its former home in Ft. Lauderdale's Port Everglades.

A tight squeeze the ship's captain said, as he navigated the 680-foot vessel through the narrow Lake Worth Inlet.

"It's a lot more challenging than what we're used to, yes," said Capt. Peter Fielding, "but the ship is very maneuverable and she get can into these tight spaces," he said.

The Bahamas Celebration is contracted to call the Port of Palm Beach home for the next five years. It's the first ship to offer multi-day cruises in more than a decade. The economic impact for the port? An estimated two-million dollars a year. Even more when you include surrounding businesses and vendors.

"We just hired more than 20 parking attendants," says the port's executive director Manuel Almira. He says local business will provide food, and of course benefit service providers like "taxis, buses, the airlines and local hotels."

The Bahamas Celebration also offers something a bit different. Passengers can opt for the two night cruise, but may also choose to stay in Freeport at the Our Lucaya resort for 2, 4 or 6 nights before coming back.

With nine levels of rooms and restaurants, a casino and more aboard the ship, the Bahamas Celebration can accommodate 1,300 passengers, offering plenty of excursions and activities to keep anyone busy. Or if passengers prefer, the luxury - of laziness.

"Just being served," says Rita looking forward to her two days of relaxation, "and not having any cooking, ha ha."

Article SOURCE