Port Canaveral set a brand new month-to-month document for many passenger actions when it hosted 925,994 friends in March, eclipsing the final 12 months’s March passenger counts by 16%. Fueled by the busiest month in its historical past, Port Canaveral, the world’s second busiest cruise port, can be on observe for a document Fiscal 12 months 2025 when it’s anticipated to host 8.4 million passenger actions in comparison with 7.6 million passenger actions final 12 months.
“It wasn’t way back after we exceeded 500,000 friends in a single month. Now, with numbers like this approaching practically 1,000,000, it’s not simply outstanding, it demonstrates the robust demand for sailings from our Port. We’ve been predicting it, and we had been prepared for it,” acknowledged Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO.
Port Canaveral has grown in recognition as a homeport, notably for cruise friends preferring to drive to their port. “One of many issues we pleasure ourselves on is simple entry in and egress out of Port Canaveral,” Murray mentioned. “Our development and success comes from our ongoing dedication to make sure we’re one of the best port doable for our companions and friends.”
Murray famous that the Port is investing thousands and thousands of {dollars} to make crusing from the Central Florida area much more accessible and handy with tasks for expanded terminals, up to date parking services and up to date know-how that enable friends to get to and from their cruise quicker than ever.
The Port is at the moment residence to 16 ships from seven completely different cruise strains – Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celeb Cruises, Disney, NCL, MSC and Princess Cruises – which collectively function greater than 1,000 sailings yearly.
The Port is increasing its cruise choices with the arrival of a few of cruising’s latest and largest ships, together with Norwegian Aqua this weekend and Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas in August with Carnival Festivale and MSC’s World Atlantic slated to debut in 2027. As well as, MSC, Princess Cruises, Celeb Cruises and NCL will all deploy newer ships to Port Canaveral this winter.
“Port Canaveral has develop into the homeport of selection for brand spanking new ships with extra cruise strains deploying newer and bigger current tonnage, which speaks volumes about our companions’ confidence in our capacity to persistently ship high-quality expertise for his or her friends,” Murray acknowledged.
Port Canaveral’s cruise enterprise contributes considerably to the native economic system with 91% of cruise friends staying in in a single day lodging on Florida’s House Coast, together with 27% having fun with a pre- and post-cruise land stick with per-party spending at $3,072, in response to a current examine by the House Coast Workplace of Tourism. As well as, cruise guests are one of many major drivers of recent lodge building with roughly 2,000 new lodge rooms deliberate by 2025, practically a 20% p.c enhance since 2021.
