The port of Falmouth in Jamaica is set to welcome its first cruise ship today after years of construction and some recent delays.  Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas will dock at 8:00am and be the first ship to dock here since Royal Caribbean and the town of Falmouth planned to build a brand new cruise port in this historic port.  

It's been 50 years since the last cruse ship visited Falmouth but today's arrival will bring 3,000 tourists to the town that used to be a center for sugar production in the hemisphere.  

Construction isn't 100% complete yet and wont be until sometime in June 2011, but enough is done so that ships can stop here.

Jes Olsen, manager of the development project at Falmouth is excited for the new first stop, "The project is at a stage where it can accommodate cruise ships, even the world's largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas, which is expected to call at the Falmouth port in the month of March".

If the winter blues have got you down, you can turn that misery into a Caribbean cruise vacation.  Royal Caribbean is inviting everyone to send in their photos of their coldest and most grueling winter photos.  The best photo will be selected by Royal Caribbean to win a cruise.

You can submit your photos from now through March 10 by visiting Royal Caribbean's Facebook page. You'll be asked to submit the photo you think best describes your worst winter experience.  

There are four entry periods..

• Feb. 11-17
• Feb. 18-24
• Feb. 25-March 3
• March 4-10.

Once an entry period is over, the top 25 photos selected by the judges will be posted for everyone to vote on.  Whichever photo has the most likes on Facebook after one week of voting will win a 7-night cruise for two to the Caribbean. One winning photo will be chosen for each entry/voting period.

Royal Caribbean signed an agreement with Royal Media Partners, LLC to provide Royal Caribbean ships sailing in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, New England, Mexico and Alaska stateroom television programming, port shopping services, publish and other onboard media ideas.  The new venture will put a big emphasis on entertainment and technology that is interactive.  The new deal begins October 1, 2011.

Royal Media Partners President Philip Levine is excited about the new partnership, "We are very excited to once again be working with the team at Royal Caribbean International and to not only increase revenue for the port shopping program, but to be a partner in driving all onboard revenue."

The new port shopping program will feature destination TV programming brought directly to guests’ staterooms. Guests wishing to plan their shopping day at port will be able to access pre-cruise, web-based port shopping and concierge information, as well as live shopping talks on demand once onboard. By creating mobile applications especially for Royal Caribbean, guests may retrieve real time port shopping information and up-to-date values and specials from the comfort of their smart phones or other mobile devices. In addition, a customized Royal Caribbean International Magazine will feature lifestyle content and photography.

Design Squared, the marketing firm Royal Caribbean hired to make Crown and Anchor Society promotional materials, was in search of a family to put on an upcoming promotional material for Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society during Allure of the Sea's inaugural cruise.  They found their match in Scott and Terri Lynn Crutchfield of Sebring, Florida.

Kathy Watrous, Design Squared's managing partner, approached the couple and asked them to be in a photo shoot. After signing media release forms, they were told they would be contacted if and when their photos were selected for use.

After combing over 15 other couples that Waltrous took photos of, the Crutchfields were selected.

"This was fun and we were kind of caught up in the moment," she said. "We never thought we would hear from them again."

The Crutchfields were notified via email and were sent photos that would be in the brochure for the Crown and Anchor Society.  About one million brochures have been created and will be distributed around the United States and Canada.

"We were happy they chose us," Terri Lynn said. "It is kind of an honor."

Royal Caribbean continues its project of promoting social lunches for organizations located in ports where its ships make stops, this time in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

About 70 senior citizens attended with social worker Sister Dulce.  They came aboard Vision of the Seas in El Salvador and were excited to board the ship for the first time. In Rio de Janeiro, almost 60 children from the NGO Viva Cazuza and Child Health also had lunch on the ship.

This program of social outreach started in December and continues today, "The action represents a way found by the company to contribute to the work done by these entities and offer a chance, unknown to many, to meet a ship and live an unforgettable holiday experience," says the CEO of Royal Caribbean in Brazil, Ricardo Amaral.

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world and the technology behind what makes this ship get from port to port is provided by aeronautics giant Northrop Grumman.  Northrop Grumman’s Sperry Marine business unit supplies the navigation, communication and safety systems for Allure.

Allure of the Seas'  integrated bridge system was custom built, with its base technology by Sperry Marine’s VisionMaster FT and then added proprietary otalWatch multi-function workstations using extra-largeWideView high-resolution screens. Each of the TotalWatch stations can be individually configured to show conning information, the ship's radars or electronic chart systems.  It can also show closed-circuit TV images.

Allure of the Seas primary navigation consoles have been configured in a U-shaped layout to provide easy control and access for all control and navigation functionality.  In addition, all the functions are incorporated into the control stations on both bridge wings.  The Sperry Marine IBS also includes a separate wireless computer node that permits the master to view the ship’s navigation status in his or her cabin or on the bridge. In accordance with Royal Caribbean’s rigorous safety requirements, the IBS has been designed with redundant network architecture, providing built-in duplication for all critical components.

Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine also supplied the operator equipment and consoles for the separate Safety Command Centre, which is located directly behind the main navigation bridge. A “first” for cruise ships, the dedicated facility serves as the nerve centre for all of the ship’s critical safety systems. The four super-wide displays provide enhanced situational awareness over the entire ship. Royal Caribbean officers observed that removing these non-navigation functions from the wheelhouse enhances navigation safety by reducing distractions for the ship’s conning officers and bridge crew. 

Charly McDonald, a Royal Caribbean Director, is excited about the partnership between the cruise giant and Jamaica.  The brand new port of Falmouth in Jamaica is set to open this week, a project that Royal Caribbean has been working with Jamaica for years to become operational.  Navigator of the Seas will become the first ship to dock in Falmouth on Thursday.

"The port in Falmouth is a good measure of our commitment to Jamaica. We have our biggest ships coming to the island and we will be bringing about 12,000 guests a week to Jamaica who will be able to experience the island, and I'm sure they will love it."

"It certainly will be a great opportunity for the Jamaican industries; the vendors, taxicabs, shop owners and tour operators. Our guests always come back loving their Jamaican experience."

"As we have gone ahead and built bigger ships, we have chosen to partner with a lot of Caribbean nations and different destinations to ensure that the port area, specifically, and the docking facilities are top-notch. If you take a look at our ships, they are essentially five-star resorts on water, and we want to ensure that when we pull into the port, that experience is transferred when our guests walk off the ship; we want them to be comfortable and be able to fully enjoy the destination."

Thursday will mark the first cruise ship stop at Falmouth, Jamaica, the new port project that Royal Caribbean has spearheaded to build. Falmouth's opening has been delayed due to construction falling behind schedule but on February 17, Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas will be the first ship to stop at Falmouth and local businesses can't wait.

Joy Laesch, president of the newly formed Trelawny Art and Craft and Entertainment Association, which comprises some 300 of the parish's craft vendors, says locals are ready, "We are prepared spiritually, mentally, and physically. Persons from all walks of life are now seeing the benefits of the trade. There is going to be big demand for local craft items."

The members of the association have been making their own preparations, which includes formal training, with lessons in business and entrepreneurship covering how to manage a business, balance the books, marketing, and customer care.  In addition, the vendors are prepared to operate their businesses in an orderly manner and rotate vendors so that the first 100 craft vendors will sell their goods to guests on Voyage of the Seas on Thursday and another 100 or so will do business when Oasis of the Seas arrives in March.

Royal Caribbean has signed a letter of intent with German shipyard Meyer Werft to build the cruise line its newest ship, a 4,100-passenger, 158,000-ton ship with an expected delivery of fall 2014.

The order is for one ship with the option of a second ship that would be delivered for Spring 2015.

"This next generation will not disappoint," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean's parent company Royal Caribbean' Cruises, Ltd., in a statement. "It will offer features for everyone," Fain said. "From grand, spectacular spaces to small intimate settings; from active, invigorating activities to the serenity of more personal space; and from a plethora of dining alternatives to a cornucopia of opportunities for families."

The new ship class is being called "Project Sunshine" until a formal name for the new class is decided upon.  

This new ship will be the first of a new class, although its size is very similar to the Freedom Class ships, which are slightly larger (158,000 tons for Project Sunshine vs 160,000 tons for Freedom).

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. has signed a letter of intent with shipyard Meyer Werft to build the first of a new generation of Royal Caribbean International cruise ships. Developed under the code-name "Project Sunshine," the new vessel design incorporates new and exciting features that take advantage of the best of Royal Caribbean's experience and imagination. The project is a result of over a year of dedicated research and development.

The order calls for one ship to be delivered in the Fall of 2014 with an option for a second ship for Spring 2015. The 158,000 Gross Registered Tons (GRT) new build will carry just over 4,100 guests based on double occupancy. The estimated all-in cost per berth is about euro 170,000. This all-in cost includes the yard's base contract price plus everything needed to design, operate and build the vessel, from architect fees to supervision costs and all loose inventories from computers to art and bed linens.

"Royal Caribbean has worked hard to earn a reputation of offering the most innovative ships in the cruise industry and this next generation will not disappoint," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. "While we continue our policy of keeping our newest ideas and features under wraps during the early stages of construction, I can say that I am very excited about the passion and imagination that our teams have devoted to the project. Project Sunshine builds on the best ideas of our existing ships and adds exciting new activities and entertainment concepts. It will offer features for everyone: from grand, spectacular spaces to small intimate settings; from active, invigorating activities to the serenity of more personal space; and from a plethora of dining alternatives to a cornucopia of opportunities for families. I am also excited about the energy efficiency and environmental technologies which have been incorporated. Our existing ships are some of the most energy efficient in the world and Project Sunshine takes this one further step. Based on our over 20 years of experience with Meyer Werft, along with their compelling proposal, we know they will deliver on all of the innovations Royal Caribbean's guests have come to expect."

"Meyer Werft is pleased to be working with Royal Caribbean especially in light of their reputation for building such innovative ships. I am very happy we are continuing our long time partnership with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and its brand Royal Caribbean International. Their projects always present incredible opportunities for Meyer Werft to create the latest cutting edge hardware in the cruise industry," said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft shipyard.

The letter of intent is subject to customary conditions being satisfactorily met.