Good news for Florida tourism revenue; bad news for traffic!ย On January 25, 2025, Port Canaveral in Florida, the second-busiest cruise port in the world, had its busiest day ever.
The packed port featured a whopping twenty-five vessels, and six of those were cruise ships. The port was jam-packed, and that’s not even counting the dozens of smaller yachts.
“What a day at Port Canaveral! 25 deep sea vesselsโ6 cruise ships, 6 cargo ships, 8 space vessels, a gambling ship, plus 4 fuel bunker barges (LNG included!)โoperating at our Northside and Southside cruise terminals, cargo berths and The Cove bulkhead. Add to that many commercial fishing vessels and recreational boats currently in Port.” Port Canaveral posted.
Among the ships docked in the port Saturday were Carnival Vista, Celebrity Equinox, Disney Treasure, Carnival’s Mardi Gras, Norwegian Epic, and Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas.
Carnival Vista a 133,596 gross-ton ship, first launched in 2016, is starting an eight-day Southern Caribbean itinerary.
The ship, with a passenger capacity of 4,716 people, will stop in Oranjestad in Aruba, Kralendijk on the island of Bonaire, and Grand Turk Island in Turks and Caicos before returning to Port Canaveral.
In fact, the Carnival cruise ship only recently started offering sailings from the port after repositioning from New York in December 2024.
In December 2024, Celebrity Equinox, a thirteen-year-old, 121,878 gross-ton ship carrying up to 3,420 passengers, made history as the first Celebrity Cruises ship to sail from Port Canaveral.
Now it continues Celebrity Cruises’ relationship with the popular port as it begins its seven-day, round-trip Eastern Caribbean voyage.ย It will make stops in Key West, Nassau, and Puerto Plata.ย
The newest cruise ship in the port was the 144,256 gross-ton, 3,466-passenger Disney Treasure.ย Launched in August 2024, it now departs for a seven-day Western Caribbean sailing, with stops in Cozumel, Grand Cayman Island, and Falmouth.ย It will then stop off at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, before returning to Port Canaveral.
The 155,873 gross-ton, 5,074-passenger Norwegian Epic, meanwhile, departs for its eclectic seven-day Caribbean cruise visiting Puerto Plata, St. Thomas (USVI), Tortola, and Great Stirrup Cay.
Voyager of the Seas, homeported in Port Canaveral and carrying up to 4,099 passengers, sets out on a quick five-day itinerary to Labadee and Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
While some travelers found difficulty navigating the crowds, this jam-packed day is a testament to the growing popularity of the Florida port.
Huge Growth for Port Canaveral, Florida
This record day follows a record-successful year in 2024, when the port welcomed 7.6 million passengers and 911 cruise ships, bringing in $156 million in cruise ship revenue.
It also marks the beginning of a year of anticipated growth, with total projected revenues reaching $211 million, as revealed at the port’s annual “State of the Port Address” in November.
Port Canaveral holds the title for the second-busiest cruise port in the world, just slightly behind the Port of Miami.ย It even took the top title briefly in 2022. Port Canaveral has also won the Cruise Hive Awards‘ “Best U.S. Cruise Homeport” honor for five consecutive years, winning in 2024 with 35% of all votes.
So, just what is it about this port that draws in so many?
For one thing, it is extremely well located.ย Situated just east of Orlando, home of popular and exciting tourist destinations like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and, of course, Gatorland, Canaveral is a very convenient port for anyone looking for an extended vacation as well as for Florida locals.
The Florida coast also makes for quick and easy trips to highly desirable, tropical locations, such as the Caribbean, and the Eastern Coast of Mexico.
Read Also: What Airports Are Near Port Canaveral Cruise Port?
Another factor is that Port Canaveral recognizes the value of the cruise industry and works to make the experience of cruisers at the port as perfect as possible.
At the aforementioned “State of the Port Address” in November, 2024, Canaveral Port Authority CEO Capt. John Murray said the following:
โCruise 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.โย
This cruise-friendly management philosophy seems to be doing the port well. In December, the port welcomed Carnival Venezia as its record-breaking sixteenth cruise ship to homeport there.
We look forward to more growth in the year to come.