What is the Sea Escape ship, was it ever used as a cruisehip

[tripman]

Last week, in Fort Lauderdale, there was a smaller ship parked behind the Caribbean Princess, it had Sea Escape written on it. I asked the lobby of the hotel, and they said that it is a gambling ship that goes out once or twice a day, but not for overnight. My question is, was this ship ever used as a conventional cruiseship? It almost looks like the ship from the Love Boat (although the last time I saw that show was quite a while ago, so I may be remembering wrong)

[Bequia]

Yes, this ship was a conventional cruise ship with Commodore Cruise Lines.The ship was built in Finland 1976, refurbished 1984, 1997, 2000. formerly known as the M/V Talisman, which had been operated by Commodore Cruise Lines as the M/V Enchanted Sun.

 

SeaEscape is believed to be the originator of the "mini-cruise," operating 13, five- and six-hour cruises weekly from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale on the M.V. Island Adventure, which is 512 feet long and over 15,000 tons. The M.V. Island Adventure is believed to be the largest such vessel in this type of service and has a capacity of over 1,150 passengers per cruise. With approximately 370,000 passengers carried in the last full fiscal year and a total of over 6 million in its nearly 20-year history, the SeaEscape name is believed to be the best known in the "mini-cruise" industry.

 

Florida voters legalized slots for Broward County FL. This will be the demise of the day trip casino boats out of Port Everglades. Already two casino boat operaters Sun Cruise casino and St Tropez that sailed out of Port Everglades have gone under.

 

The "Love Boat" was the Pacific Princess ;)

[beachgal58]

have sailed the escape several times. the first time was maybe 1989. it used to go to the bahamas every day but one. u could go over and return on the same day or opt to stay on freeport in a hotel for as many nights as u wanted then sail on a return. now, it goes out twice a day and drops anchor for the gamblers. u can still get a cabin, they have a pool and bingo and buffets and caribbean music. i think they charge about 25-30 bucks.

[momofmeg]

have sailed the escape several times. the first time was maybe 1989. it used to go to the bahamas every day but one. u could go over and return on the same day or opt to stay on freeport in a hotel for as many nights as u wanted then sail on a return. now, it goes out twice a day and drops anchor for the gamblers. u can still get a cabin, they have a pool and bingo and buffets and caribbean music. i think they charge about 25-30 bucks.

 

We did that back in 89 also. We got a package with 2 nights hotel in Freeport. It cost us I think $110 per person. we did not have a cabin and we only got to eat from the buffet. there was a formal dinner but it was like $40 extra per person which to us back then would be like spending $200 a person for a meal today so we did not do that.

 

We picked that cruise because we wanted to take a cruise and could not afford it. Needless to say it did not impress me with cruising (but then I am not a gambler) it was 98 before we took a real cruise.

 

That too was a louzy ship-Carnival Tropicale-but we had such a good time we were hooked-in Octber we take our 10th cruise-(I don't count the Seaescape-that would make it the 11th)

 

I did not realize Seaescape was still in business. When we were in Freeport last year we saw the Discovery ship(Seaescape's competition) so I saw they were still in business.

 

The ship we went on was called the Scandinavian Sun. It was really dinky-Carnival Topicale and the old "love boat" Pacific Princess were HUGE in comparison. I guess it would look like an amoeba next to a RCCL voyager class ship. The Las Vagus Style show was done in a small lounge with no stage. Really pitiful. The swimmingpool was the size of a jacuzzi tub on these bigger newer ships.

[GrannyJ]

Sea Escape used to also operate out of Port Canaveral somewhere around the early 80's, for daily "trips-to-nowhere". Relatively inexpensive as you could take two children free with each paying customer, thus it was a big family outing opportunity. The buffet was ghastly (heavy on the ham sandwich-hot dogs and beans-mystery pasta-dry brownies schtick) but everyone seemed to be having a great time. If I remember correctly, one of the ships caught on fire in port and smouldered for several days until they put it out. Then when they finally put it out, another fire broke out. It was later found out that one of the men hired to fight the fire started another one so he could get a few more days work. That, I believe, was the end of SeaEscape for Port Canaveral.