World’s Largest Cruise Ship Coming To Port Canaveral

Artist's rendering of the completed Star of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship
Artist’s rendering of the Star of the Seas, World’s Largest Cruise Ship. Image courtesy Royal Caribbean

Cape Canaveral is well-known for its rocket launches, but the town is also the site of the world’s busiest cruise ship port — over four million passenger movements per year happen there, which slightly edges out Miami for the top spot. Soon, Port Canaveral will also be the home port of the world’s largest cruise ship — Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas is set to begin service there in July 2025.

Aerojet Rocketdyne To Boost RL10 Production in West Palm Beach

An Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10C-X prototype engine undergoes hot-fire testing at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. Credit: Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3 Harris Technologies company.

Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company, is planning to ramp up production of its latest variant of the venerable RL10 rocket engine at the company’s West Palm Beach, Florida facility. The company also plans to add staff at its South Florida facility to enable the higher pace of manufacturing the engine.

Young Girl Loses Life in Collision Involving Police Vehicle

Jalina Anglin was killed Saturday night when her mother's vehicle collided with an Auburndale Police pickup truck.
5-year-old Jalina Anglin was riding in the back seat of her mother’s car Saturday night when it collided with an Auburndale, Florida Police pickup truck. Photo: LaTrice McKinnis

A 5-year-old girl, identified as Jalina Anglin, tragically lost her life following a collision between the vehicle she was in and a police pickup truck in Auburndale, Florida, Saturday night according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Private Aerospace Firms Want Port Canaveral Expansion

Reprinted With Permission: Story by Jim Turner, News Service of Florida

Falcon 9 on crane
A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster is lifted onto a transport cradle at Port Canaveral. Photo: Richard Gallagher/FMN

Private aerospace leaders want Florida lawmakers to consider steps to streamline local regulations, expand a pool of workers such as machinists and welders and provide more dock space for the industry at Port Canaveral.

Florida’s Average Gas Price Hits 2023 Low Ahead of Thanksgiving Travel Surge

Gas prices down at the pump
Gas prices are down across the nation due to a continuing decline in crude oil prices.

As Floridians gear up for Thanksgiving, they are greeted with a welcome relief at the gas pumps. The state is witnessing a significant drop in the average gas price, with prices now reaching a new low for the year 2023. As of Sunday, the average price per gallon stands at $3.04, marking a decrease of 15 cents from the previous week and the lowest since late December 2022. This figure is notably lower than the $3.41 per gallon drivers paid during last year’s Thanksgiving.

Florida’s Tourism Surge Signals Economic Boost Amidst Global Travel Revival

Tourists on Beach
Photo: UCF.edu

Florida tourism is experiencing a significant resurgence, hinting at a potentially record-breaking year. The state’s tourism marketing agency, Visit Florida, reported that around 35.066 million visitors traveled to Florida during the third quarter of 2023. This marks a 1.4 percent increase over the same period in 2022 and a 7.9 percent rise from 2019, the year before the pandemic. The new numbers set a record high for 3rd quarter tourism in the state.