New view-Google Earth AIS View M/V Splendor of the Seas
Royal Caribbean Internationals cruise ship Splendor of the Seas is now in Galveston Harbor. You can see her in the background at the terminal with the web cam view http://www.galveston.com/webcams/harborhouse/frameset.html Instead of a Google Map on the VesselTrax website with a balloon indicating where she is at I''m including a link to view her on Google Earth. You'll have to have Google Earth loaded on your computer first. Here is the link for a free download to Google Earth: Note: Google Earth is a broadband, 3D application that not all computers can run. * Desktop computers older than 4 years old may not be able to run it. http://earth.google.com/download-earth.html Then click on this link for a kmz file a Google Earth aerial view of where she is berthed in the Galveston Harbor at this time http://vesseltrax.com/splendor.kmz You'll have to open this kmz file and it will automatically open in your Google Earth Program you have installed on your PC. Google Earth is fun as you can fly around regions with the controls in the upper right of the page. It takes awhile to get use to but after you get the hang of it you can fly to your favorite global cruise destinations Enjoy, John P.S Here is a link to a quick tutorial on using Google Earth. I found it very helpful yesterday when I got started using his neat utility. http://www.gearthblog.com/basics.html

Very cool, John! 8) Thanks!

That is very NEAT :D :D :D Do you have kmz files set up for all your ships? I think most of us have Google Earth :D You might want to try the PLUS, its is a bit easier to get around in :D

Liz, Thats the first time I've ever loaded a kmz file to my website. So that is my first ship. I'm still learning. What do you mean by,you might want to try the PLUS, its is a bit easier to get around in Thanks Terry. I didn't now how it would work out. I'm glad you were able to get a view. Regards, John

PLUS costs money, but you can just "grab" and move the globe....don't have to use the arrow keys. Think you still have to use the arrows in the free version :?: :?:

Okay, I get it now Google Earth Plus. I just have the regular free version of GE. I have no problem opening the kmz file from http://vesseltrax.com/splendor.kmz with my Firefox Browser but when I use the Internet Explorer browser. I get a request to open or save the kmz file. Yet I can't get it to open in Google Earth Still some kinks to work out before sharing it with everyone. I don't won't viewers to get discouraged the first time they try the link and have the same problems I'm having with IE.6 Over 50% of web users are still using IE.6 and many people have not heard about the excellent web browser that Mozilla offers in the Firefox browser. John

IE Ok for me, but I think we may now be on 7. I know Adrian downloaded an upgrade just before Christmas, because at first I thought I had lost all my favourites. Now I have to access them via a * Could also save & crop the image using 'Print Screen', as we have both sailed on Splendour and been to Galveston, but on Galaxy- Oct 2005. Only problem is that the image has a gree hue/ to Black & white. Easy to see the 'Tall ship' as well.

John, I am using IE6 and it opened right up for me :?: :?: :?: Since I have only Windows 2000, I can't load IE7 I do have Mozilla, but don't use it all that often

Jackie, Thanks for letting me know you were able to view the file with Internet Explorer (IE) browser. I'm still using IE.6. I use Firefox as my main web browser. Maybe that's why I couldn't open the kmz file because of IE.6 To find out what version of IE you are using , the top of the page. Left Click > Help > About Internet Explorer, and you can read for sure what version you have. That GE view is a picture from awhile back with some ships in their berths and others not. It does show where the ship is exactly from the kmz file. Regards, John

All I had to do was click once on the kmz file link you posted and everything open up immediately.....took me right to Galveston. Didn't have to do anything else :D

Liz, I'm using Windowa XP with IE.6 . Oh well must be a local glitch on my PC with IE. I have no problem with Firefox. I'll load other cruise ships as they arrive at the Galveston Cruise Terminal for your users to view on GE. Thanks for getting back with me and letting me know how my little GE/AIS experiment worked out Regards, John

It worked GREAT and is lots of fun :D :D

:?: :?: :?: :D

John, I use IE7. I did get a request to open or save the file. When I clicked open, I got another window, clicked open on that and then it opened right up in GE.