Port Canaveral, already one of the world’s busiest passenger cruise ports, has announced a plan for a brand new cruise terminal to open in just two years. The fast expansion is possible by strategic use of existing berth space with planned modifications to accommodate a variety of the largest ships from multiple cruise lines.

The new terminal will be at the existing North 8 berth space on the port’s north side, sharing the basin with Cruise Terminal 5 but improving on the facility to maximize its usage flexibility for different cruise brands.

Cruise Terminal 5 is most frequently – though not exclusively – used by Royal Caribbean International ships. The new Cruise Terminal 6 would be available for different lines depending on overall scheduling and operational needs.

“We have cruise partners with immediate needs to locate assets in Florida and Port Canaveral is where they want to be,” said Captain John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO. “Our ability to efficiently bring a new cruise terminal online was key to retaining and growing this important business segment that supports many jobs and delivers high value to our regional and state economy.”

The new terminal will be able to be built quickly because much of the infrastructure is already in place. Furthermore, the location of the new terminal on the port’s north side ensures minimal disruption to current operations, which will permit faster construction while accommodating existing cruise schedules.

North 8 berth was built in 2018 with flexibility in mind and already features 1,020 linear feet for docking. The new construction will extend that to 1,344 feet to accommodate larger vessels.

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A new parking garage able to serve 3,000 vehicles, as well as roadway improvements and a flyover ramp to connect the facility to State Road 401, are part of the development plan for the new cruise terminal. An additional area for future parking expansion is also further east of the new site.

While the overall timeline for construction is not yet finalized, the planned completion date is summer 2026. This is an ambitious timeline and will help foster additional growth and growing demand for cruise travel from the Space Coast.

“A new cruise terminal and the business it will deliver builds on our Board’s commitment to the economic prosperity of our Port community,” said Micah Loyd, Chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners. “This proactive, business-oriented strategy reaffirms our commitment to ensure the State of Florida continues to prosper from cruise tourism and remains the ‘Cruise Capital of the World.’”

The official announcement of the new cruise terminal comes two months after Port Canaveral announced that a local marina’s lease would not be removed in preparation for port enhancements. That local marina, however, is on the south side of the port facilities.

Cruising From Port Canaveral

Port Canaveral offers sailings from various cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line.

In addition, several cruise lines include Port Canaveral as a port of call visit on select itineraries. MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean International both offer day visits to the port, giving guests the opportunity to enjoy beaches, Kennedy Space Center, and other local attractions.

Over the next two years, while the new cruise terminal is under construction, great growth is expected at Port Canaveral, beginning with Royal Caribbean’s sixth Oasis-class ship, Utopia of the Seas, which is just weeks away from arriving at her new homeport.

In November, two cruise lines will begin their first-ever homeport operations from Port Canaveral. Princess Cruises will homeport Caribbean Princess from Port Canaveral for 38 sailings, while Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Equinox will offer a full winter of Caribbean and Bahamas cruises from the port.

Disney Cruise Line’s upcoming Disney Treasure, sister ship to Disney Wish, will also homeport from Port Canaveral beginning in December, and Royal Caribbean’s second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, is scheduled to join the port’s lineup in August 2025.

With such a great variety of cruise lines, ship styles, and itinerary options available, the expansion at Port Canaveral will be very welcome and will offer even more options to eager cruise travelers.

Between now and the end of October, the Port of Vancouver is expecting to welcome an extremely high number of cruise passengers. In the next week alone, nearly 70,000 cruise guests will arrive at the Canada Place cruise terminal. 

The port is anticipating approximately 1.27 million passengers to pass through its doors across 329 cruise ship calls between March 11 and October 29, 2024. This surpasses the record set in 2023 of 1.24 million cruisers to visit the downtown Vancouver port in the same time period by about 2%. 

This is largely because Vancouver, Canada, is a popular homeport for cruise ships during the Alaska season, and is frequently included on itineraries even when it’s not the designated homeport. With the 2024 Alaska season looking to be extra busy, Canada’s largest cruise port is warning locals about the potential crowds.

“While record numbers of cruise tourists visiting our region will provide a vital boost for local businesses and tourism providers, it will also mean anyone planning to visit Canada Place or nearby areas downtown should plan ahead and expect increased crowds and traffic,” said Mandy Chan, cruise services manager at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority. 

The worst of the crowds are expected to be in the city between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm, which is the window in which most cruise ships are in the port. 

However, even with the influx of extra visitors, the British Columbian port is prepared to meet the demand. After over 40 years of welcoming cruisers, the staff has embarkation and disembarkation down to a science. The large port has three berths to accommodate up to four large ships at a time.

On particularly busy days, such as weekends throughout spring and summer when the port expects to welcome upwards of 30,000 passengers across multiple ships, Vancouver Police Department’s traffic authority will be brought in to help manage the flow of auto and pedestrian traffic. 

Alaska Cruises In High Demand For 2024 Season

The influx of cruise tourism in Vancouver is a side effect of the busier than normal Alaska cruise season, with cruise ships from popular brands like Disney Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Cunard Line all homeporting from or calling on the Canadian port. 

It’s so busy that the port of Juneau, Alaska, which is expecting a record-breaking 1.7 million cruise guests in 2024, has been taking measures to impose a cap on the number of ships that can visit per day to mitigate crowds.

Indeed, demand for Alaskan cruises has been at an all-time high for 2024, perhaps still in part because of built-up demand from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Princess Cruises, for example, experienced a boom in their bookings at the beginning of the year. In January of 2024, the cruise line experienced a record-breaking 20% surge in Alaska bookings, the highest in the cruise line’s history for this time period. 

Similarly, Holland America Line smashed its single-day booking record on January 16 and concluded its best booking week during wave season a few days later on January 19, which is when cruise brands roll out their best promotional deals of the year. 

The new daily record represented the best sales day Holland America had experienced since its founding in 1873, with Alaska cruises contributing to around one-third of the bookings. In order to keep up with the demand, six of the cruise line’s 11 ships will be sailing to Alaska throughout the spring and summer. 

Likewise, Norwegian Cruise Line geared up for a busy season by deploying a notable portion of its fleet to the northern region. The cruise line will send five of its 19 ships – Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Sun, and Norwegian Spirit – to Alaska at least once during the season.

The Massachusetts Port Authority, along with local officials and community leaders, has celebrated the official beginning of the 2024 cruise season from Flynn Cruiseport Boston. This year promises to be a record-breaking year for the popular northeastern homeport, with eight ships homeporting and a wide variety of sailings offered to appeal to many different cruise guests.

Flynn Cruiseport Boston is scheduled to host 169 visits from 25 cruise lines through November, up 15% from the 149 visits in 2023. This includes 79 homeport departures and 90 port of call visits that will bring tourists to the Boston region for outstanding visits.

“We are excited to kick off the start of the 2024 cruise season at Flynn Cruiseport Boston,” said Joseph Morris, Massport Port Director. “We are proud the growth we’ve seen in our cruise operations over the last few years, and we couldn’t do it without our cruise partners.”

Cruise lines are always investigating new offerings that will deliver culturally diverse experiences and new destinations to eager travelers, and the rich history and culture of Boston is an exciting fit. From Revolutionary War history to outstanding maritime traditions to fantastic sports and more, visitors can enjoy a wide range of sites and activities in the unique cosmopolitan destination.

My favorite? Don’t miss the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, located less than two miles from the cruise terminal, though my husband would recommend the tour of Fenway Park, the oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.

“Boston is an exceptional city that our guests enjoy sailing from, and it plays a critical role to our long-term presence on the east coast,” said Juan Kuryla, Senior Vice President of Port Development and Construction of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.  

“While we are excited to celebrate Norwegian Gem’s return for another season, we are equally eager to continue to explore opportunities with Massport to enhance the current facility to allow larger ships and more guests to cruise from Boston.”

Every sailing helps support Boston’s economy and the economic health of the broader region. Not only are tourist attractions impacted, but retailers, restaurants, hotels, transportation, and other economic sectors all benefit from the cruise industry.

“Boston is the preeminent cruise port for New England and plays a very important role in our tourism economy. It supports thousands of jobs and serves as an economic engine for the Commonwealth. We look forward to welcoming cruise passengers to Boston and New England so they can explore all this region has to offer,” said Morris.

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Flynn Cruiseport Boston supports nearly 2,200 jobs either directly or indirectly, and generates $135.5 million in local economic impact annually, as well as $40 million in tax revenue, according to the 2018 Martin Economic Impact Report.

“The cruise industry is a vital part of the overall visitor economy in Boston, and working with our partners at Flynn Cruiseport over the past several years we have really elevated Boston as a port and destination,” said Martha Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston.

Sailing From Boston

Eight cruise ships from six cruise lines are homeporting from Flynn Cruiseport Boston in 2024. Norwegian Gem has already begun her season offering Bermuda and Maine itineraries, and will also offer Canada and New England sailings in the fall, when colorful foliage is a highlight attraction.

Holland America Line’s Volendam will begin homeporting from Boston on May 11 with one-way cruises of different lengths between Boston and Montreal, with some other special itineraries on her agenda. Of special note is the ship’s July 27 departure, a 24-night roundtrip Canada, New England, and Iceland itinerary.

Two ships will begin homeporting from Boston in July in preparation for the fall season. Princess Cruises’ Emerald Princess will set sail from Boston beginning July 14 with Canada and New England itineraries, with a special Greenland cruise leaving August 11. Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam will follow less than a week later with her first departure on July 20 for a series of Canada and New England sailings.

Celebrity Eclipse will begin a short season from Boston on August 28, followed quickly by Norwegian Jade on August 29. Both ships will be offering week-long Canada and New England itineraries to top ports in the region.

Royal Caribbean International’s Jewel of the Seas will offer seven sailings from Boston beginning with a 15-night Greenland cruise departing September 7, followed by 7-night sailings during the peak autumn season.

Finally, Oceania Cruises’ Nautica is the last ship to begin a season from Boston on September 11 with just a few departures including two Bermuda sailings and options between Boston and Montreal.

Have you ever sailed from Boston? Share your tips and tricks on the Cruise Hive boards!