Royal Caribbean Cruises officially opened the country`s newest cruise port-- Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. Cape Liberty will serve as a seasonal homeport to two of the company`s ships, including the 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas, which departs on May 16 for its first cruise from the Northeast.

The ceremony included remarks from New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey and other state and local dignitaries, including Congressman Robert Menendez, New Jersey Department of Commerce and Economic Growth Commissioner William D. Watley, Bayonne Mayor Joseph V. Doria, Jr., and Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority Chairman Howard Fitch.

Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain signaled the official opening of the port by ringing an authentic ship bell from one of the famed World War II Victory ships, which sailed from Bayonne`s Military Ocean Terminal.

This is a momentous occasion for our company, and we could not have asked for better partners in making Cape Liberty Cruise Port a reality than the state of New Jersey and the City of Bayonne, Fain said. We are proud to be part of the revitalization program for the Bayonne waterfront, and we are pleased to offer our guests a convenient new departure point, which is attractive to both drive-market guests and those arriving by air.

The City of Bayonne is proud to welcome Royal Caribbean, Mayor Doria said. Today, we are honored to be the first New Jersey community in 40 years to serve as a homeport for passenger cruise ships. We look forward to this exciting new chapter in the history of Bayonne.

Cape Liberty Cruise Port is located at the northeast corner of the former Bayonne Military Ocean Terminal, now renamed The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, a 430-acre, man-made peninsula that extends into New York Harbor. Future plans for the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor call for a vibrant mixed-use waterfront development comprised of residential, light industrial and office space, film studios, a riverwalk and extensive recreational and park areas.

The new cruise port offers guests outstanding views of the harbor, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan. Royal Caribbean has renovated existing structures for use in the immediate future. Long-term plans call for construction of a new cruise terminal and supporting facilities.

Royal Caribbean will base two ships at the new port from May through October 2004. Voyager of the Seas offers an alternating schedule of five- night Canada and nine-night Caribbean cruises. Empress of the Seas offers alternating six-night and eight-night Bermuda itineraries.