Canaveral Port Authority and its longtime partner, Carnival Cruise Line, held a space-themed ceremony for the groundbreaking of the new Cruise Terminal 3 complex.
The terminal has been dubbed the "Launch Pad," and will be home to the new Mardi Gras cruise ship, which will debut in 2020.
The event theme, "Go for Launch," was a nod to the port's key role with the U.S. space program. NASA's "Spaceman" planted a Carnival Cruise Line flag on a simulated lunar landscape during the ceremonial groundbreaking.
The $163 million terminal project, the largest in the port's history, features a futuristic design, which was inspired by nearby Kennedy Space Center. The terminal will feature a high-tech baggage processing facility and a state-of-the-art check-in and security area on the second floor, where guests will find kiosks and seating for 1,700. The six-story 692,000-square-foot parking garage will have room for 1,800 vehicles.
The Mardi Gras will be powered by liquified natural gas (LNG), as part of Carnival's "green cruising" platform, and the ship will be the first in North America to use this type of fuel. As such, the Launch Pad will be equipped to handle the needs of LNG fueling.
Port Canaveral has worked with federal, state and local public safety and regulatory officials to ensure it is safe and ready for the ship's arrival. Fuel providers will employ widely used and proven safe best practices of a ship-to-ship "bunkering" refueling, which is regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The project is scheduled to be completed in May 2020, in time for the arrival of the Mardi Gras, which will homeport in Cape Canaveral in October of that year.
"Today's groundbreaking is a historic milestone for our Port and underscores the long-standing partnership we have with Carnival," Port CEO captain John Murray said. "The trust and confidence we've earned with our great cruise partner has been the foundation of success and we are excited for what the future holds. We're building a great new terminal, for an innovative new ship, and looking forward to welcoming home Mardi Gras."
Carnival president Christine Duffy added: "We began our operations from Port Canaveral nearly 30 years go-coincidentally with our original ship of the same name. We've had a great relationship with Port Canaveral during that time and we're proud, honored and excited that our newest and most innovative ship, Mardi Gras, will sail from the new Terminal 3. We are pleased to be the port's number one cruise line and Mardi Gras promises to be a spectacular addition to the Space Coast."
In addition to Duffy and Murray, participants in the ceremony included Wayne Justice, Canaveral Port Authority commissioner; Micah Loyd, Canaveral Port Authority commission chairman; Jerry Allender, Canaveral Port Authority commissioner; Rocky Johnson, vice president, Ivey's Construction Inc.; and Scott Bakos, partner with Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc., a Miami firm providing architecture and engineering design work for the project.
"We are proud to be building this state-of-the-art facility and looking forward to providing Carnival's cruise guests with a first-class guest experience," said Justice. "Building the new cruise terminal, like each of our construction projects at Port Canaveral, is an investment in building our community."
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