South Florida's Best Cruise Ships

The floating vacation may seem like an ideal solution to the age-old question: Where should we go on vacation this year? That's because most cruise ships offer 24-hour staff service where the pampering could be endless, while the children enjoy an array of organized activities freeing up parents to catch a show or play the slots or just relax. With two major ports situated in our backyard, it's an easy solution for locals. Now may be the time to take that week off and board one of the numerous mega liners debuting in South Florida.

Oasis of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International -- Port Everglades
(800) 327-6700 or (305) 539-6000
www.royalcaribbean.com

Five times larger than the Titanic, the $1.5 billion ship has seven neighborhoods, an ice rink, a small golf course and a 750-seat outdoor amphitheater. It has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members. One of the "neighborhoods," named Central Park, features a square with boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on and off at different levels. It sails on 7-day itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean islands.

Epic

Norwegian Cruise Lines -- Port of Miami
(800) 327-7030 or (305) 436-0866
www.epic.ncl.com

Norwegian Epic sports numerous, never-before-seen-onboard features including an ice bar, studio cabins for single passengers and a wide array of performances from the Blue Man Group to Cirque Dreams. A colorful aqua park that looks more like a maze invites children and adults to slide down one of numerous tubular enclosures. The 153,000 ton ship can accommodate as many as 4,100 passengers.

Miracle

Carnival Cruise Lines -- Port Everglades
(800) 327-9501 or (305) 599-2200
www.carnival.com

Whether you're looking for a quick 2-day getaway trip to the Bahamas to a longer 8-day Southern Caribbean sailing, this ship offers all the amenities to make the journey comfortably. This ship's length comes in at a modest 963 feet, and has a capacity for 2,124 passengers and features a variety of entertainment from a camp carnival for the kids to the twister water slide that travels through three decks.

Celebrity Century

Celebrity X Cruises (merged with Royal Caribbean) -- Port of Miami
(800) 647-2251 or (305) 539-6000
www.celebritycruises.com

The South Pacific themed cruise ship will make you think you've just stepped onto Australia or the Hawaiian Islands. The accommodations include 314 private verandas and 174 staterooms referred to as "concierge class" where guests can enjoy fresh-cut flowers and even personalized stationery. The Celebrity brand name has been around since 1989 and merged with Royal Caribbean in 1997.

Coral Princess

Princess Cruise Lines -- Port Everglades
(800) 774-6237
www.princess.com

This cruise ship makes 10-day sailings to the Panama Canal cruises out of Port Everglades. The ship features specialty restaurants such as Sabatini's Italian restaurant and Bayou Café & Steakhouse. A cruise wouldn't be a cruise without a casino and this one is European-styled. It also features a cigar lounge and retro martini bar.