Port Canaveral can have 13 homeported ships and is anticipating over 8 million visitors in 2024, in keeping with Captain John Murray, CEO and port director.
“The most important factor for us is we’re a simple drive out and in,” he mentioned. “We’re on the level now the place cruise strains are bringing us their latest ships, which began with the Mardi Gras.”
This summer time the Utopia of the Seas will observe from Royal Caribbean Worldwide because the cruise line places its latest ship into the quick cruise market.
One other newbuild, the Norwegian Aqua, will begin common cruises from Port Canaveral in 2025.
“New ships carry the crowds,” Murray added, noting there have been solely actually three ports in Florida that might deal with quick cruises for large ships. Go elsewhere and the itineraries begin to get longer.
“The prelude to the Utopia has been the Attract of the Seas, which has been going out with between 5,500 and 6,000 visitors aboard and we’re not even in peak season,” mentioned Murray in November. “We’re parking 1,300 automobiles per crusing.”
The MSC Seashore arrived at Port Canaveral in late 2023 for its inaugural season, whereas extra new prospects embody Princess and Movie star, plus the Disney Treasure; all three enter common operation late this 12 months. Port Canaveral is responding by constructing two new parking garages, mentioned Murray.
“The problem now we have is area and berth utilization. When you have a look at berth utilization, we’re utilizing ours much more. We have now one terminal the place we shall be utilizing six days every week,” mentioned Murray, noting the port plans to construct a brand new megaship terminal.
“We have now a necessity for a brand new terminal. if I had it at present, we might come near filling it … our purpose for that’s to make it a Port Canaveral terminal (and never linked solely to at least one cruise operator), so we management it; it offers us extra flexibility if we don’t earmark it for one model and construct it for the most important ships on the planet … it’s a strategic transfer. Berth area is at a premium.”
For 2025, the port is anticipating 16 or 17 homeported ships, Murray mentioned.
Excerpt from the Cruise Business Information Quarterly Journal Winter 2023-2024
