PortMiami to Welcome Eight New Cruise Ships

PortMiami will be welcoming inaugural visits for eight ships during the 2023-2024 cruise season, from an astonishing eight different cruise lines.

So many amazing vessels are helping break records at the “Cruise Capital of the World” including the two busiest passenger days ever in the port’s operational history.

Eight New Ships to Visit PortMiami

A total of eight cruise ships will make inaugural visits or new homeport operations from PortMiami this winter, bringing ever more cruise passengers to the South Florida port.

Three of the ships – Oceania Cruises’ Oceania Vista, Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Venezia, and Scenic Cruises’ Scenic Yacht II – will visit in October.

November will be equally exciting with an additional three new ships – Crystal Cruises’ revitalized Crystal Serenity, MSC Cruises’ expedition ship Explora I, and Norwegian Cruise Line’s brand new Norwegian Viva, which will celebrate her naming and maiden voyage from PortMiami on November 28, 2023.

In December, one more new cruise ship will add PortMiami to its list of ports visited when Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Grandeur begins a series of longer sailings roundtrip from the port, offering destinations such as the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and more on diverse itineraries.

Finally, the biggest debut of all will be with the largest cruise ship in the world when Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas debuts from PortMiami on January 27, 2024 – a maiden voyage eager cruise travelers have been counting down to for months.

Each of these vessels adds something new to the offerings from PortMiami, whether cruisers are interested in the ultimate luxury, exciting adventures, stylish appointments, exotic ports of call, or just plain fun.

“We are grateful for the longstanding partnerships with all of our cruise partners and their commitment to providing a world-class experience to our passengers,” said Daniela Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Mayor. “These new ships, and their improved amenities and customer experience, are helping to keep Miami-Dade and PortMiami on the cutting edge of the cruise industry.”

Record-Breaking Numbers

PortMiami is seeing unprecedented surges in cruise passengers as the two busiest days in the port’s passenger history have already occurred in 2023. On Sunday, February 12, 2023, an astonishing 58,984 guests passed through the port, a record that was broken just weeks later on Sunday, April 9, when 67,549 passengers visited PortMiami.

With newer and bigger ships adding PortMiami to their deployments and day visit schedules, it is very likely that those numbers will continue to grow through the end of 2023 and into 2024.

Read Also: Top 10 Busiest US Cruise Homeports

With so much cruise travel through the port, PortMiami contributes more than $43 billion annually to Miami-Dade County with taxes and port fees (on cruise travel as well as cargo shipping) and monies spent by travelers to reach the port, including hotel stays, dining, retail, tours, and much more. In total, the port supports more than 334,000 direct or indirect jobs in the area.

More Improvements Coming to PortMiami

It isn’t just in numbers that PortMiami is growing, the port is committed to sustainability and responsible cruising as well. In partnership with Carnival Corporation, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Group, and Virgin Voyages – collectively representing 20 different cruise lines – along with Florida Power and Light Company, the port is finalizing its shore power program.

When complete, five terminals at PortMiami will be offering shore power, capable of plugging in three vessels simultaneously at each terminal, subject to berth assignments. This will permit multiple vessels to turn off their engines while docked, dramatically reducing air emissions and lowering pollution levels.

The expansion of shore power to more ports, particularly cruise ship homeports, is a key element of the cruise industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and will help protect not only marine environments, but the port communities that ships visit.