Jesse Scheckner
PortMiami saw another record number of passengers in Fiscal Year 2024, when more than 8.2 million cruisegoers boarded ships in its harbor.
That’s roughly 900,000 more passengers — a 12.8% increase — than in Fiscal Year 2023, when the “Cruise Capital of the World” retook its title as the world’s busiest cruise port.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who won re-election by a landslide in August, celebrated the new achievement, which she attributed to the work the county and its cruise partners have done to improve the port.
“PortMiami has not only transformed our iconic skyline and bolstered our economy, but its ongoing commitment to creating more sustainable development ensures that our port remains a forward-thinking, future-ready gateway to the world,” she said in a statement.
The current fiscal year, which began on Oct. 1 and will run through Sept. 30, 2025, will see more additions to PortMiami, which in May reported an economic impact of $61.4 billion — 3.9% of Florida’s GDP.
That includes several new ships set to make port in Miami, including Explora Journeys’ Explora II and Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady this month; MSC Cruises’ World America and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Aqua in April 2025; Virgin Voyages’ Brilliant Lady in October 2025; and Oceania’s Allura in November 2025.
This season will also include the opening of MSC Cruises’ new Cruise Terminal AA, designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica. Once operational, it will be the largest cruise terminal in the world, the county said.
Construction on Royal Caribbean’s new Cruise Terminal G is also set to commence in Summer 2025. Bids went out for its development in February.
In June, PortMiami brought shore power online to provide its vessels electricity rather than have them idle using fuel while moored. PortMiami Director and CEO Hydi Webb told Miami Today in July that the harbor is now the largest on the East Coast to offer such accommodations, which can reduce ship emissions by up to 98%.
“This was a huge commitment between the county, our cruise partners and FPL,” she told the outlet.
A county news release Thursday noted that Carnival Corp., MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Royal Caribbean Group and Virgin Voyages are also partners to the initiative.
