by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 3:55 PM ET, Tue December 12, 2023
A record number of cruisers passed through Miami this year, with an estimated 7.3 million passengers visiting PortMiami between October 2022 and September 2023.
The port, which is nicknamed the “Cruise Capital of the World,” notched a 6.97 percent uptick in cruise activity during the most recent fiscal year, Miami-Dade County announced this week. The previous record, 6.8 million cruise passengers, was set in 2019.
“Congratulations to the entire PortMiami team and its partners on its busiest cruise year ever,” says Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County’s mayor, in the announcement. “PortMiami continues to drive our economy forward, creating opportunities for residents and businesses across our county. The Port is an industry leader, which is future ready and committed to innovative, efficient and sustainable growth.”
One reason for the growth? The port has opened three new cruise terminals in recent years—one for Norwegian, one for Carnival and one for Virgin Voyages.
Crews are also hard at work building a new terminal for MSC Cruises, which is slated to open next year. And a new Royal Caribbean terminal will be opening in late 2027.
The port and its partners are also collaborating to add shore power infrastructure. When that work is finished next year, shore power will be available at five cruise terminals, which will allow vessels to turn off their primary engines when docked and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Up to three ships will be able to draw shore power at the same time.
Looking ahead, 2024 should also be a banner year for the port, which is welcoming new ships from a variety of cruise lines. Notably, in January, the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, will depart from Miami.
Other new ships sailing from Miami next year include Carnival’s Costa Venezia, Oceania Vista, Scenic Eclipse II, Crystal Cruises’ Serenity, MSC Cruises’ Explora I, Norwegian VIVA and Regent Seven Seas Grandeur.
In addition to cruise ships, the port also welcomes numerous cargo ships each year. During fiscal year 2023, it recorded more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of cargo capacity. That marks the ninth consecutive year of more than 1 million TEUs for PortMiami.
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