Key Aspects:
- Port Canaveral saw more than 8.6 million passenger movements in fiscal year 2025.
- This earns the central Florida homeport the title of the world’s busiest cruise port.
- Port Canaveral is investing $912 million in growth and improvements to support cruises.
It’s busier and better than ever at Port Canaveral as the final numbers are in for fiscal year 2025 and it’s official: the central Florida homeport has taken over from its south Florida rival as the world’s busiest cruise port.
With more than 8.6 million passenger movements through the port in 2025, Port Canaveral has truly reached new heights with the highest ever number of passengers in the port’s history. This edges past PortMiami’s 8.5 million guests.
“Earning this distinction is a direct reflection of our ongoing commitment and focused efforts to be the best port possible, providing a high-quality experience for all cruise guests sailing from our Port,” said Port Canaveral CEO Captain John Murray.
“With thanks to our hard-working teams and the confidence we’ve earned from the cruise lines, this milestone underscores our commitment to supporting our cruise partners’ business growth.”
Port Canaveral is currently homeporting 18 ships across 7 cruise lines, with more than 1,000 sailings scheduled annually.
This includes some of the newest ships and largest ships in various fleets, including Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas and Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure, both of which offer 7-night sailings from Port Canaveral.
The 2025 numbers are a significant 13% increase from 2024’s totals, when Port Canaveral welcomed 7.6 million passengers and 911 cruise ships. In comparison, PortMiami grew only by 4.02% from 2024 to 2025.
Port Growing with Demand
Instead of waiting for facilities to become outdated and overcrowded, Port Canaveral has been shrewdly investing in updates, new facilities, added parking, and much more.
The Port Canaveral Advantage is a $912 million plan for five years’ worth of development. This will include expansions on two existing terminals, a completely new seventh cruise terminal campus, and the latest in technology to ensure smooth processing for both embarking and debarking guests.
The port also offers the capability to refuel with liquefied natural gas (LNG), giving cruise lines the opportunity for greener options that are in high demand to protect maritime environments.
These improvements will keep all guests sailing smoothly, no matter which ship or cruise line they enjoy most.
Sailing from Port Canaveral
In addition to Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, Port Canaveral is the homeport for ships from Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Guests sailing from the Space Coast can enjoy everything from short weekend sailings to epic Caribbean explorations of 10+ nights. Furthermore, the convenience of Port Canaveral lets guests arrange back-to-back or even side-to-side sailings with ease.
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From private island destinations in the Bahamas to popular Caribbean highlights such as Jamaica, Cozumel, Grand Turk, San Juan and the Dominican Republic to the Virgin Islands (British and US!), ships from Port Canaveral are sailing there.
Even more extensive itineraries include the coveted Aruba-Bonaire-Curacao “ABC” sailings, highly sought after by eager guests, as well as Panama Canal voyages.
With so many ships homeported from Port Canaveral, guests also have options for even more elite sailings. This includes transatlantic cruises and repositioning sailings as different ships are shuffled to new deployments, including moving to Europe or Alaska at different times of year.
Port Canaveral’s convenience is especially popular with cruise travelers. While the homeport is just an hour east of Orlando for guests who fly to their cruise vacation, the port is also insanely popular with drive-in guests.
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In fact, roughly 75% of the guests who sail from Port Canaveral drive to the terminals. Port Canaveral is just three hours from Miami, 7-8 hours from Atlanta, and 6.5 hours from Charleston.
The port’s clear signage, designated parking areas, and efficient, friendly staff make it easy to drive in without the same traffic snarls, one-way streets, and other challenges some homeports face.
