PortMiami, Port Everglades set yearly records for cruise passengers
MIAMI - PortMiami and Port Everglades, among the busiest cruise locations in the world, set passenger records for fiscal year 2024, which ran from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties said Thursday.
PortMiami welcomed 8,233,056 cruise passengers, which is a 12.79% increase in cruise passenger totals compared with past record of 7,299,294 the previous year.
Port Everglades had 4,010,919 guests in the past year. Passenger counts grew 39% and cruise ship calls rose 23%. The turnaround port's original record was set in fiscal year 2014 with 3,880,033 guests.
In 2014, Port Everglades had 887 cruise ships calls compared with 648 calls in setting the record because the ships are larger now.
"We expected to do well with the addition of Disney Cruise Line to our fleet and a mix of short and week-long cruises throughout the summer," Port Everglades CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris said in a news release. "As the year progressed, it became evident that a near-record 4 million guests was within reach. Cruising is in high demand, and our cruise line partners are poised for greater gains with new itineraries and a variety of sailing dates."
Port Everglades cruise lines are Balearia Caribbean, Celebrity, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Princess, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collections, Royal Caribbean, Silversea and Viking Ocean.
The Miami port is the busiest one in the world for cruises followed by Port Canaveral and Port Everglades. Port Canaveral hadn't released data for 2024 and 2023 was 6.8 million passengers.
Cuise lines have fully recovered from the pandemic, which began in 2020.
"PortMiami continues to break records and uphold its status as the cruise capital of the world," Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a news release. "I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire PortMiami team and our valued cruise line partners on reaching this extraordinary achievement,"
"PortMiami has not only transformed our iconic skyline and bolstered our economy, but its ongoing commitment to creating more sustainable development ensures that our port remains a forward-thinking, future-ready gateway to the world."
Ships that will begin departing from PortMiami are Explora Journeys Explora II in November, Virgin Voyages Resilient Lady in November, MSC Cruises World America in April 2025, Norwegian Cruise Line Aqua in April 2025, Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady in October 2025 and Oceania Allura in November 2025.
MSC Cruises' new Cruise Terminal AA will open this cruise season. Once completed, it will be the largest cruise terminal in the world.
On the west end of the port, construction will begin on the new Cruise Terminal G for Royal Caribbean International in summer 2025.
In all there are nine cruise ship terminals serving Carnival, Celebrity, Crown of Miami, Disney, Holland America, MSC, Norwegian, Oceania, Pearl of Miami, Princess, P&O, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages.
"I am grateful to our cruise lines for their ongoing partnership and this record-breaking year," Hydi Webb, director and CEO of PortMiami, said. "I want to thank Mayor Cava, the Board of County commissioners and our cruise partners for their unwavering support to ensure PortMiami is the departure choice for cruise passengers."
Port Miami in June launched shore power, which allows cruise ships to turn off their engines and plug into landside electrical power while docked, resulting in reduced emissions and noise. It is the first major cruise port on the U.S. eastern seaboard that will offer shore power capability at five cruise berths.
This is a partnership between Miami-Dade County, Carnival, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages and Florida Power & Light Company.