For the fifth time, Port Canaveral has wowed cruise passengers and taken the honors as the top-voted US cruise homeport in the Cruise Hive Awards!
The central Florida homeport more than doubled the score of the second-place homeport, firmly securing its victory as the top US cruise homeport that travelers prefer.
In total, Port Canaveral amassed 35% of the votes cast in the 2024 Cruise Hive Awards, slightly higher than its 2023 total of 34% and far above the 2022 total of 24% – showing the port’s ever-increasing popularity.
Port Canaveral also won the honor in 2021 and 2019. It should be noted that the category of Best US Cruise Homeport is not offered every year, as the awards change annually based on cruise traveler trends and other factors. Every year that US cruise homeports have been voted on, however, Port Canaveral has been the clear winner.
Located just an hour east of Orlando on the Atlantic coast, Port Canaveral is a prime spot for a diverse array of cruises and is easily accessible by all travelers, from local cruise enthusiasts (this writer included!) to passengers who prefer to drive or fly to their homeports.
Weekend Bahamas getaways and week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries are some of the most popular options, but they are far from the only choices. Longer journeys and explorations to the Southern Caribbean, South America, and even the Panama Canal all depart from Port Canaveral.
Furthermore, Port Canaveral is home to an ever-increasing diversity of cruise ships and cruise lines.
Not only do the largest and most familiar cruise lines homeport from the central Florida port – Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line – but Disney Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Princess Cruises all homeport from Port Canaveral as well.
This gives travelers many amazing options to set sail from their favorite US homeport, and Port Canaveral is committed to that growth and diversity.
“Cruise continues to be a significant segment of our business portfolio with some of the newest and largest ships in the world based at Port Canaveral. This speaks volumes to the confidence our cruise partners have in our ability to consistently deliver exceptional results for their guests,” said Canaveral Port Authority CEO Captain John Murray during the 2024 State of the Port address on November 20, 2024.
During the 2024 fiscal year, Port Canaveral welcomed 7.6 million passengers across a total of 911 cruise ship calls, including both homeported vessels as well as the occasional day port-of-call visitor.
Furthermore, the ships based from Port Canaveral continue to grow in size and welcome more and more guests.
One of Carnival Cruise Line’s largest vessels, the Excel-class Mardi Gras, along with Disney Cruise Line’s two largest ships – Disney Wish and the brand new Disney Treasure – call Port Canaveral home.
Royal Caribbean currently homeports its two newest Oasis-class ships, Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas, from Port Canaveral, and they will be joined in August 2025 by the second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas.
Other Top US Homeports
While Port Canaveral is the undeniable favorite for US cruise travelers, all three top spots in this year’s awards were popular Sunshine State homeports – Port Canaveral followed by PortMiami (16%) and Port Everglades (10%).
Read Also: 20 Reasons to Choose Port Canaveral Cruises
Next, the rapidly-growing Port of Galveston took the fourth place honor, followed by the colorful Port of New Orleans.
All US homeports were open for voting in the 2024 Cruise Hive Awards, which began accepting votes in mid-October. The final votes were cast on Sunday, December 22. All awards are reader-driven from both new and experienced cruisers.
