Here, Port Everglades Deputy Director Glenn Wiltshire (left) presents Carnival Splendor Captain Claudio Cupisti with a commemorative key to Broward County, Fla., to mark the occasion.

The 113,300-ton Carnival Splendor - the largest ship in the Carnival Cruise Lines fleet - will operate a schedule of seven-day voyages from Fort Lauderdale through January 31, 2009. The ship will then sail on a series of 14- to 18-day South America voyages followed by the launch of year-round seven-day Mexican Riviera cruises from Long Beach, Calif., beginning in March 2009.

Carnival Splendor offers a host of innovations, including a 21,000-square-foot "Cloud 9 Spa" and a 5,500-square-foot children's play area - the largest facilities of their kind in the fleet - along with a water spray park and a sliding sky dome over the main pool area that houses a massive LED screen displaying movies, concerts and other programming.