Tag Archives: Royal Caribbean

Port Everglades: New Lines, New Ships and a New Terminal

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Port Everglades is kicking off the 2023-24 cruise season by welcoming new cruise lines and ships, and establishing itself as a new homeport for Disney Cruise Line, according to a press release.

“We could very well top our 4 million passenger record, although our ‘official’ projected number is conservatively estimated at some 3.7 million embarking and disembarking guests,” said Port Everglades CEO and Port Director Jonathan Daniels.

“As a trend, we are seeing more luxury ships such as Viking and Ritz-Carlton, and shorter itineraries from Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Disney,” Daniels added.

So far this season, which started in October, Port Everglades has welcomed first calls from Viking’s expedition ships Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, Viking Mars, as well as Phoenix Reisen’s Artania.

Beginning November 20, 2023, the Disney Dream will homeport year-round in a specially designed cruise terminal dedicated for Disney Cruise Line guests. The partnership with Disney includes a 15-year agreement with one ship to be homeported in Port Everglades year-round and joined by a second, seasonal ship, to be announced, in 2025.

Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Ascent debuts at Port Everglades with two 3- and 4-night preview sailings in November 2023 before being named at Port Everglades on December 1, 2023, and embarking on her inaugural Caribbean season with alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. Celebrity Ascent is the fourth ship in Celebrity’s Edge Series class, and one of seven Celebrity ships to sail from Port Everglades this season.

The Silver Nova will be named at Port Everglades on January 4, 2024. This will be the first ship to use liquefied natural gas (LNG) as its main fuel at Port Everglades.

Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class Symphony of the Seas will shift to Port Everglades after returning from Europe in November 2023 and will sail alternating 6- and 8-night cruises to the Caribbean.

Azamara also joins the Port Everglades fleet for the first time with the arrival of the Azamara Onward on November 30, 2023. Azamara Onward will finish the 2024 season at Port Everglades with an inaugural 155-night World Voyage departing January 5, 2024, visiting over 40 countries with 22 overnight stays and 27 late nights in port.

Port Everglades said it also looking forward to having a busier than usual summer 2024 with five cruise ships including Celebrity Beyond (7-days), Celebrity Reflection (3- and 4-days), Disney Magic (3-, 4- and 5-days), Enchanted Princess (7-days), and Freedom of the Seas (7 days).

Princess Cruises will homeport the brand-new Sun Princess at Port Everglades beginning in October 2024. The Sun Princess, the first in the line’s new Sphere class, will be Princess Cruises’ first LNG-fueled ship and its largest, accommodating more than 4,000 guests.

The newly rebranded luxury line Crystal recently announced that it will move from Miami and begin homeporting from Port Everglades in November 2024, with the completely refurbished Crystal Serenity.

Port Everglades has completed a study to add shore power to the port’s eight cruise terminals, which will allow cruise ships to use electricity while idling in port instead of burning fuel. The study was performed by Moffatt & Nichol, a global infrastructure advisory firm working in cooperation with Florida Power & Light (FPL), Carnival Corporation, Disney Cruise Line and the Royal Caribbean Group. The recommended plan is capable of delivering up to 16 megawatts of electricity simultaneously to each of the eight terminals in accordance with IEC/IEEE 80005 standards.

The projected cost for the project, including the estimates for FPL supply and distribution system upgrades, is approximately $20 million per cruise terminal, for a total cost of $160 million. The project is expected to be financed through federal and state grant funds, contributions from FPL, the participating cruise lines, and Broward County. Implementation will occur in phases. The earliest construction could occur is mid-2024 with all phases completed by the end of 2027, the port said.

Port Canaveral Breaks Record with 6.8 Million Cruise Passengers in 2023

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Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO, delivered the annual State of Port address on November 8 at Cruise Terminal 1.

The world’s busiest cruise port, Port Canaveral, set an all-time high with 6.8 million cruise passengers in financial year 2023.

The port homeported 13 ships and received 906 ship calls, according to a press release.

Port Canaveral’s operational income reached an unprecedented $191 million, including a record-breaking $158 million from cruise operations, he said.

“This Port is an economic powerhouse in the state of Florida,” Murray said. “Central Florida benefits immensely from our operations, with numerous jobs created, businesses thriving, and increased tourism. We play a crucial role in supporting Florida’s tourism industry.”

In 2024 the port is expected to homeport 13 cruise ships, hosting 7.3 million passengers and anticipating 913 ship calls. In order to handle the growing cruise traffic, the Port will dedicate $78 million from its Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Projects budget to Port-wide parking improvements.

Additional improvements will include a new camp store, pavilion renovations, road paving, and RV site upgrades at the Port’s Jetty Park.

“We’re very excited for the future,” Murray said. “We have some great assets coming online in the next few years and a lot of surprises for the business as a whole.”

Port NOLA Reports 1.2 Million Cruise Passengers in 2023

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Brandy D. Christian, Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) president and CEO, delivered the 2023 State of the Port address on Nov. 3. She highlighted successes across the Port’s four lines of business: cruise, cargo, rail, and industrial real estate.

According to a press release, the cruise industry has recovered from the pandemic, and cruise line partners maintain their trust in the Louisiana cruise market through New Orleans.

Port NOLA achieved new records in 2023, including in March when it set a monthly passenger record. This record surpassed the prior monthly record established in February 2020, shortly before the global pandemic.

As the 2023 fiscal year concluded, Port NOLA reported 1.2 million cruise passenger movements, setting the stage for a potential new annual passenger record in the current calendar year.

In November 2024, Royal Caribbean is set to make a comeback with a new ship, the Brilliance of the Seas. Port NOLA has also secured an agreement with Carnival, ensuring at least five more years of having two year-round vessels, the port said in a press release.

Norwegian Cruise Line is bringing back the port’s largest homeported vessel, the Norwegian Breakaway. Additionally, Disney Cruise Line will resume its sailings in January.

The Port is experiencing growth in the river cruise sector, with a total of nine homeported riverine vessels, including Viking Cruises, which began sailing from Port NOLA in 2022.

“As I think about the past eight years, and all of the work we have done to grow the gateway, two pillars are constant: diversification and transformation,” said Christian.

“Diversity in our lines of business and in our leaders, transforming our organization and our outlook. These are the tenets of our master plan, which will guide us into new territory… Let’s continue to deliver Louisiana’s future together.”