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If it felt busy at PortMiami this past year, the numbers show it wasn’t just perception. The port enjoyed a record-setting cruise season in 2025.
PortMiami officially closed Fiscal Year 2025 with its highest-ever passenger count: 8,564,225 cruise passengers passed through Miami between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
This total is a 4.02 percent increase over 2024’s 8,233,056 passengers and the largest total since the port first welcomed cruise guests in 1968.
The surge simply confirms what cruisers already know – Miami sits at the center of the North American cruise scene.
But officials say the milestone didn’t happen by chance. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava framed the port’s results as a sign of continued momentum, especially as Miami positions itself ahead of future growth.
“PortMiami’s dual achievements [cargo traffic also boomed in 2025] highlight its dynamic role as both a cruise and cargo powerhouse,” she said.
PortMiami Director and CEO Hydi Webb echoed the sentiments and said the record performance “reflects the dedication of our entire team and the strength of our partnerships with the cruise industry, cargo carriers, and the business community.”
The record arrives just as another busy season begins. Multiple cruise lines are homeporting new and returning vessels at Port Miami through spring 2026, as a launching point for winter Caribbean sailings.
Read Also: Miami Cruise Port Guide – Terminals, Transportation and More
Officials link the deployments to Miami’s role in regional employment and tourism spending, with the port contributing an estimated $61 billion annually to the local economy. The port also supports more than 340,000 jobs tied to cruising, port services, transportation, and hospitality.
A Sea of New Ships
PortMiami’s new passenger record sets the stage for a jam-packed 2025-2026 cruise seasons, including a number of ships calling Miami home for the first time ever.
The rollout began in October with Cunard’s 2,175-passenger Queen Elizabeth and Virgin Voyages’ new 2,700-guest Brilliant Lady, which first debuted in New York on September 5, both departing on maiden voyages from the port on October 16, 2025.
November followed with Holland America Line’s Zuiderdam, holding 1,964 passengers, and Oceania Cruises’ Allura, with 1,200 guests, setting sail. PortMiami also celebrated the arrival of Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Xcel, for a November 14 preview before it moved to its Port Everglades home.
On December 5, MSC Cruises’ Grandiosa will arrive from Italy before it heads to Port Canaveral. It will return to Miami in April 2026 before returning to the Mediterranean.
In January 2026, Windstar Cruises will introduce its new yacht, Star Seeker, bringing a smaller ship to the port dominated by megaships.
Holland America Line returns in February with Eurodam calling PortMiami home for the first time in years, and Silversea Cruises bringing back Silver Nova in May, giving passengers an ultra-luxury choice heading into the summer.
Norwegian Cruise Line will also debut its newest vessel, Norwegian Luna, on April 1, 2026, with early celebrations and preview sailings possible in March.
Carnival Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Explora Journeys, Royal Caribbean and other major cruise lines also have ships homeported in Miami this season and will contribute to growing passenger counts in Miami.
