by Ana Figueroa
Last updated: 6:26 PM ET, Wed August 29, 2018
The Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) Board of Commissioners voted unanimously today to approve an agreement with Carnival Cruise Line. The long-term agreement gives the go-ahead for the line to homeport its newest and largest ship there.
"I am extremely excited about this next chapter for Port Canaveral and extraordinarily proud of the Port's leadership team, staff, and our cruise partners who have brought us to where we are today. Carnival's commitment to our Port and their multiple decades of operations here is a tribute to our entire Port community," said Wayne Justice, chairman of the CPA Board of Commissioners.
The agreement takes effect September 1, 2018. It replaces the current six-year agreement set to expire next year. The parties have now agreed to a new 25-year initial term with four options to renew for an additional five years.
Carnival and the CPA will invest in a new two-story 185,000-sq. ft. Terminal 3 to hold the line's next-generation LNG "green cruising" vessel. The yet-unnamed 180,000-ton ship will have a lower berth capacity of 5,286 and maximum capacity of 6,500 guests.
Also in the works are new parking, wharf and access roads. In total, the $150 million construction project is the largest in the port's history.
"With its convenient location, excellent facilities and friendly staff, Port Canaveral is one of our most popular and fastest-growing homeports and we're delighted to bring this exciting, one-of-a-kind ship to the Space Coast in 2020," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
Port Canaveral is the second busiest cruise port in the world. Carnival Cruise Line celebrates 30 years sailing from there in 2020, the longest in any port. As an homage to the region's affiliation with the space program, project renderings show signage that reads "Terminal Launch Pad."
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