Back to News Menu              Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional          July 2016

Royal Caribbean plans to spread the love with the world's largest cruise ships as it announced a plan to build a new terminal in Miami.

"We are truly excited to be working with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal, but a truly iconic building," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "This new terminal is a symbol of our commitment to Miami, the city where our company first started almost 50 years ago.

The line has three of the behemoths with the most recent ship, Harmony of the Seas, having begun sailing in May. For years, the only Florida port big enough to support the giant ships in Florida had been Port Everglades, but Port Canaveral's new terminal is now big enough and will get the original Oasis of the Seas this fall when Harmony of the Seas makes its way to Port Everglades.

Oasis of the Seas debuted in 2009 with sister ship Allure of the Seas in 2010. The two have sailed out of Port Everglades ever since. Harmony of the Seas also has a sister ship coming, although not named. This fourth Oasis-class vessel currently under construction at STX France shipyard is due in 2018. The planned opening of the Miami terminal would be late 2018, so it may become home to the line's newest ship that year.

The 170,000-square-foot terminal has been dubbed "Crown of Miami" by the line, which announced the deal plans on Tuesday. The agreement would have the line leasing the land for the terminal from Miami-Dade County, and commissioners will vote on the agreement next Wednesday.

The firm Broadway Malyan won the design contract beating out four others. The design's shape will look like a giant when viewed from either the east or west, and like a crown from portside. At night, the terminal will be lit up to add another landmark to the Miami skyline.

Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas debuted May 17, 2016 becoming the line's 25th ship in the fleet and taking over the title of world's largest cruise ship. It will sail the Mediterranean this summer and reposition to Port Everglades in the fall.

In addition, the line will be building a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters in Miami this year.

The addition of the terminal will support the line's plans to increase traffic through the world's largest port from 750,000 passengers to 1.8 million passengers. That accounts for 30 percent of the line's overall traffic. Current levels are at 15 percent of the line's traffic.

The new terminal will not be the only addition for Royal Caribbean in the coming year. The company has committed to add a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters located at PortMiami. The Innovation Lab will continue to generate Royal Caribbean’s industry-leading, innovative vessels.

Currently, PortMiami welcomes approximately 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing about 15 percent of its overall passenger traffic. Once the new cruise terminal is completed, it is anticipated that Royal Caribbean will generate at least 1.8 million passengers at PortMiami – representing no less than 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic. The line sails five or six ships out of Port Everglades during the winters and only two ships out of Miami. With the new terminal, expect those roles to change, although with four Oasis-class vessels, all three of Florida's big ports could enjoy a presence.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the partnership is expected to generate 4,000 jobs and add an economic impact of $500 million.

"Miami-Dade County is happy to welcome Royal Caribbean’s expansion at PortMiami, and all the economic benefits that come along with it," said Gimenez. "Royal Caribbean has been an important part of our world-class community for almost 50 years, and this expansion will once again make PortMiami Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the world. I thank them for their continued investment in and commitment to Miami-Dade.”

Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc.

150 S. University Dr.  Ste E, Plantation, FL 33324 - USA

Tel: +1 954 452 8800  Fax: +1 954 252 3945

EMail: sales@cruiseco.com

Designed & Published by: Worldwide Media.