Key Aspects:
- Port Everglades set a new cruise-passenger record in Fiscal Year 2025, moving nearly 4.8 million guests.
- The numbers represent a 16 percent jump from 2024 and enough to rank it as the world’s third busiest cruise homeport.
- The port expects another rise in 2026 with 40 ships from nine cruise lines scheduled to sail.
If you sailed out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2025, you were part of a record-setting moment.
While 2024 saw just over 4 million passengers in a year that positioned Port Everglades as one of the busiest ports in the world, in Fiscal Year 2025 the South Florida port reported 4,773,873 cruise passengers, a 16 percent increase that secured its place.
The numbers mean Port Everglades is the third-busiest cruise homeport globally in 2025, trailing Port Miami and Port Canaveral, which each also bested their 2024 numbers and makes Florida’s Atlantic Coast the biggest cruise region, period.
Officials say the record aligns with a period of expansion as more cruise lines base ships in Fort Lauderdale. Established operators like Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises have added larger ships and increased frequency to the port in recent years.
“The trifecta of record-breaking accomplishments reflects the strength of our partnerships and the resilience of our business lines,” said Port Everglades CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris.
He added that the port’s diversified portfolio “positions us to adapt, compete, and lead as global and regional markets evolve.”
While Morris noted gains in all sectors at the port, cruising is getting much of the attention. Passenger demand is so strong that the port expects even higher numbers in 2026, with 40 ships from nine cruise lines plus a dairy ferry scheduled to sail.
Many of the ships sailing from Port Everglades are cruising shorter itineraries, which allow for frequent passenger turnover. Meanwhile, seasonal deployments are driving peak-period occupancy.
Port Everglades is also continuing its long-term Master/Vision Plan, which includes more than $3 billion in infrastructure, capacity, and efficiency investments that will continue to improve passenger flow, modernize terminals, and reach sustainability targets.
South Florida benefits heavily from the port’s contributions of $28.1 billion annually, supporting more than 204,000 jobs in the region.
What’s Ahead for 2026
Port Everglades’ upswing in cruise passengers will continue with the addition of several new ships that will join its homeport in the 2025-2026 season and beyond.
Among the arrivals? Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Xcel, which originally began service out of Fort Lauderdale on November 18, 2025, and sails to the Eastern and Western Caribbean carrying 3,260 passengers.
Disney Cruise Line’s new Disney Destiny also joined the lineup, debuting at port on November 20, 2025. The 4,000-guest vessel is offering 4- and 5-night voyages to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean.
The new 4,300-passenger Sphere-class Star Princess from Princess Cruises also started its inaugural season from Port Everglades on November 7, joining her sister ship, Sun Princess, also based at the port.
Royal Caribbean’s third Icon-class vessel, Legend of the Seas, which carries 5,610 passengers, will begin homeporting at Port Everglades in November 2026, bringing another mega-ship into its waters.
