Destination Canaveral Unfurls The long-planned expansion of our popular Cove waterfront restaurant/retail area is under way, creating new reasons for pre- and post-cruise visitors and others to come and enjoy. One of the first new structures to be built is an iconic seven-story Welcome Center, the lynchpin of the Downtown-Disney scaled complex and gateway to the many attractions of the Space Coast. Haley Sharpe Design, creators of displays for famous attractions around the world including the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, is planning the exhibits that will occupy about 5,500 square feet of the Center and make it a true tourist destination. Displays will take full advantage of the technological magic that is transforming modern museums into interactive adventures, taking visitors on a journey through 12,000 years of local history from treasure hunting, military battles and Ponce de Leon's Florida landing to today's beach culture, space exploration and thriving industries. Exhibits created specifically for the Port could include a virtual ship bridge from which visitors could pilot a cruise ship through the Canaveral Channel. Enchantment Takes the Place of Monarch Royal Caribbean International (RCI) recently announced that when Monarch of the Seas moves to Spain next spring, the upgraded Vision-class Enchantment of the Seas will make her year-round home at Port Canaveral. Enchantment will begin sailing on April 25, 2013, leaving every Monday and Friday on 3- and 4-night voyages to Nassau, the Bahamas and Coco Cay. Enchantment of the Seas has a similar passenger capacity to Monarch, but more balcony cabins and additional amenities. She underwent a groundbreaking overhaul in 2005, with the addition of a 73-foot-long mid-section that added new staterooms, expanded pool options and one of Enchantment's most memorable features -- four bungee trampoline rides. An additional revitalization of private and public spaces is scheduled before her spring homecoming in Central Florida. Carnival Agrees to New Five-Year Contract The Port Authority has agreed to include additional state-of-the-art features in new Cruise Terminal 6 requested by Carnival Cruise Lines and the popular line has agreed to commit to a minimum of 890,000 passenger movements per year for the next five years at Port Canaveral. As substantial as this level is, industry experts predict that Carnival's actual count may be closer to 1.3 million per year during this time period. This agreement extends a long and excellent relationship between the world's largest cruise line and the port its passengers chose as Carnival Port of the Year last year. Pre-/Post-Cruise Tips If you're looking forward to selling your clients on the pre- and post-cruise experiences available in the new redeveloped Cove, don't forget how much this Port already offers that's not available at any other Florida port! We're the only Florida port with waterfront restaurants on our channel that allow our guests to enjoy dinner and drinks with close-up views of majestic cruise ships arriving and departing. Our array of restaurants enables diners to enjoy anything from casual snacks and sandwiches to exquisitely prepared fresh seafood dinners. We also are the only port in the state with our own ocean beach -- available to guests who stay in local hotels or in our own Jetty Park campground, which now has overnight cabins. And if your clients want more excitement on the water pre- or post-cruise, the Victory I, Florida's largest casino ship, offers 5-hour cruises out of Port Canaveral 13 times weekly. Videos and Collateral Literature to Help You Sell People love to see with their own eyes! Be sure to check out our Interactive Cruise Guide where you can share fun and informative video with your clients. You also can register on our website to receive our new printed cruise guide and Space Coast Vacation Planner. Latest Port Canaveral Magazine See the latest issue of the Port Canaveral magazine for more news about what's happening at the Port, including videos. After reviewing it if you'd like to receive a FREE subscription, simply click on the news ticker in the upper right section of the pages. Review the interactive digital version now.