PortMiami sets new cruise ship passenger record; Still short of Port Everglades

PortMiami has a new bragging right.

In addition to being the base for the cruise capital of the world, the port set its one-day record Sunday for passenger traffic.

The port greeted a whopping 52,000 cruise ship passengers from nine ships, according to PortMiami officials.

Among the ships that came into port Dec. 9 were Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Horizon, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Magic, Norwegian Cruise Lines’s Norwegian Getaway, Ocean Cruises’ Oceania Riviera and Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas.

“It’s definitely a busy time for PortMiami,” said Miami-Dade mayor Carlos A. Gimenez.

“PortMiami is home to the world's most renowned cruise lines,” added Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rebeca Sosa, who chairs the economic development and tourism committee. “Last year the Cruise Capital of the World handled more than 5.6 million cruise passengers, welcoming each and every one with open arms and a smile.”

While 52,000 passengers set a record at PortMiami, it’s not the highest in South Florida. Two years ago, Port Everglades broke its own record for most cruise passengers in a single day with more than 54,700 passengers who sailed in and out of the Broward seaport on Sunday March 13. Eight cruise ships were docked at the port that day.

The PortMiami news comes as Royal Caribbean opened Terminal A for its larger vessels including the Symphony of the Seas which can carry 6,680 passengers. The port handles about 750,000 passengers a year from Royal Caribbean or about 15 percent of the total port traffic.

Virgin Voyages has also proposed building a 100,000-square-foot terminal in 2021 for its new cruise ships, the Scarlet Lady and another unnamed ship. The terminal would be located at the east end of the port.

By Johnny Diaz, Sun Sentinel
Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more
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