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Mini-cruises ready to sail from port
BY SCOTT BLAKE
April 20, 2006

PORT CANAVERAL -- A fledgling Orlando-based cruise company announced plans Wednesday to start "mini-cruises" from Port Canaveral in late November.

Paradise Caribbean Cruise Lines plans to operate a refurbished 38-year-old, midsized ship renamed the Orient Queen on two-night trips to the Bahamas and one-night "cruises to nowhere."

Deborah Warner, a spokeswoman for the cruise line, said the company will release details about its cruise prices when it begins marketing its voyages in June. She said details about the cruise line's ownership group still were being worked out.

Paradise Caribbean will try to compete at Port Canaveral alongside major cruise lines -- Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean -- where other small cruise companies have failed.

Jeff Hentz, a marketing consultant for Paradise Caribbean who presented a slide show of the plan to Port Canaveral commissioners Wednesday, was an executive at several small cruise lines at Port Canaveral that have gone out of business in recent years.

Hentz was president and chief executive officer of Ocean Club Cruises, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late-2003, several months after starting operations.

Hentz also served in executive positions with Cape Canaveral Cruise Line and Premier Cruise Lines, which also are defunct.

Hentz said the Orient Queen has undergone $10 million in renovations.

The 525-foot-long ship currently has a maximum capacity of 922 passengers, but the capacity could be increased for the Port Canaveral voyages, company officials said.

In comparison, the Port Canaveral-based Disney Magic and Disney Wonder each are 964 feet long and have a maximum capacity of 2,400 passengers.

Debut in 1968

The Orient Queen previously was named Starward.

It debuted in 1968, sailing out of Miami as one of the original vessels for the Norwegian Caribbean Line.

Recently, the ship has been operated by Abou Mehri Cruises, a cruise line in the Middle East, according to Cruise Travel magazine.

That cruise line's Web site indicates the ship this summer will operate Mediterranean cruises from Beirut, Lebanon, to Turkey and Greece.

Hentz said the ship has 392 cabins, three restaurants, two swimming pools, a casino, fitness center, spa, and a number of lounges and bars.

Also representing Paradise Caribbean at Wednesday's meeting were Capt. Munir Kahn, who was introduced as the cruise line's president; and Capt. Emilio Tsokoeoulous, who was introduced as the line's managing director.

Arrival in November

Company officials expect the ship to arrive at Port Canaveral between Nov. 15 and Nov. 21, with cruises starting about a week later.

Hentz said the itinerary calls for two-night cruises stopping at Grand Bahama Island that would depart Port Canaveral each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday; and one-night cruises to nowhere each Friday.

He said the company will focus its marketing on Orlando's large time-share condominium/resort industry, seeking many of its customers as part of vacation packages in Orlando, the Space Coast and elsewhere.

The Orient Queen is expected to operate out of Cruise Terminal 3, one of the small terminals on the south side of the port, near Jetty Park.

Canaveral Port Authority officials said Paradise Caribbean's plan fits their agenda to offer a wider variety of cruises.

Carnival, Disney and Royal Caribbean operate three- to seven-day cruises from Canaveral to the Bahamas and Caribbean. Paradise Caribbean would give Canaveral a shorter cruise offering.

"It's very exciting because (Paradise Caribbean) fills that slot" for short cruises, said Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Stan Payne.

Port officials also want a cruise line to offer 10- to 14-day cruises from Canaveral.

Florida Today

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1. We see an executive that has failed several times to put together a successful cruise line.

2. I find it pathetic naming their company "Paradise Caribbean" - took the idea from Royal Caribbean?

I have no idea if she is now actually sailing the itineraries ex Beirut listed on the site? As to the FL proposal.. well, I don't think I would place any bets on it myself.

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Originally posted by Waynaro:

3. Using the original(?) STARWARD will be interesting.

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She looks very good from the outside. I forgot how many millions of dollars they spent on restoring it. They added a helicopter pad on its bow, so there were some changes to the exterior.

I picked up a brochure of the ORIENT QUEEN from the Abou Merhi Cruises main office in downtown Beirut and from the photos, the inside looks very nice and modern. There is a room full of Playstation 2 consoles for kids, I know those weren't around back in 1968 when she was built.

The Abou Merhi website had some lovely photos of her, but it doesn't seem to be working this evening. Thanks for the update, good to hear she is now sailing again. Do they market outside of The Lebanon? I wonder what the pricing is like?

Yes, it would be only for the winter months. Abou Merhi Cruises would probably get her back in May in time to start the summer Mediterranean cruises.

I've read that Abou Merhi Cruises has signed agreements with travel agents in the region.

You would think maybe after one failure a guy could rebound and find backers but this is number four for him!

Well, I said it here well before Ocean Club cruises even got started that the venture was doomed and I say it again now.

Doomed One...

Doomed Two...

Doomed Three...

Doomed Four (and hopefully for the last time!)

[ 07-04-2006: Message edited by: Marlowe ]