Port Canaveral, the world’s busiest cruise port, is expanding to accommodate an estimated 9 million passenger movements by 2026 with 18 motherships and more than 1,000 sailings.
cruise terminal 5 Primarily hosting ships from Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, it has doubled in size from 90,000 square feet to 170,000 square feet to accommodate some of the industry’s newest ships. The maximum number of passengers is 5,600. The cruise terminal is still under construction and is expected to be completed in December.
Meanwhile, the new Cruise Terminal 6 parking garage is under construction with 3,700 new parking spaces, bringing the total number of parking spaces at the port to approximately 17,500 spaces across eight garages and surface lots. The 13-story garage is expected to be completed in October.
These projects represent an approximately $175 million investment in Port Canaveral’s future. $93 million for parking and $78 million for terminal renovations.
“This is a significant expansion of one of our oldest cruise facilities, which is not large enough to handle larger ships,” said Port Canaveral CEO Captain John Murray. “Given the amount of ships passing through our ports today, simply going offline wasn’t an option. We had to do something really big and crazy to make that happen.”
Merritt Island-based Ivies Construction is the contractor on both projects, with more than 2,000 jobs and more than 85,000 total hours worked in Central Florida as of mid-July.
Expansion of Cruise Terminal 5
First constructed in 1991, Cruise Terminal 5 was able to handle the largest ships in the industry at the time. Meanwhile, ships have grown to 2.5 to 3 times the size they were in the 1990s, Murray said.
The expansion includes a modern entrance, refurbished interior, expanded luggage and passenger seating areas, additional security screening areas and a glass façade.
“We are focused on maximizing the passenger experience through the terminal. We want to minimize the time from vehicle to vessel,” said Bill Crowe, Port Canaveral’s vice president of engineering and construction. “They might even say that they don’t want people to remember the terminal other than that it’s clean, efficient, modern and bright.”
Crowe said this is the first project in Port Canaveral’s history that involves an expansion of an operating terminal.
“This terminal operates intermittently. We have regular vessel calls. Before these vessels appear, the contractor must clean, demobilize and prepare a temporary environment to facilitate the movement of next day’s passenger volumes,” he said. “It’s an incredible challenge.”
Cruise Terminal 6 Garage
Approximately 80 percent of Port Canaveral’s cruise passengers drive to the port from all over the United States, primarily from the Southeast. As ships grow larger, each terminal will need approximately 3,500 parking spaces to “meet the volume needed.”
The new 3,700-space parking structure replaces a smaller 800-space garage that previously sat on the same site. Ivey’s Construction was able to use some of the same foundations as the previous garage, some of which went 100 feet into the ground.
The 13-story structure will feature eight super-sized elevators, two two-lane vehicle ramps to facilitate efficient traffic flow, and a connecting bridge to provide vehicle access to the adjacent Cruise Terminal 6 West Garage. In addition, the pedestrian bridge will provide passengers with easy access to the Cruise Terminal 5 entrance.
Advantages of Port Canaveral
These construction projects fit into Port Canaveral Advantage, a $1 billion capital improvement program aimed at “improving operational efficiency and supporting growth in all areas of the port over the next five years.”
One year ago, Port Canaveral cut the ribbon on a new $2.7 million camp store at Jetty Park Campground, creating a place that welcomes more than 400,000 visitors a year, including fishermen, boaters, beach visitors and space launch enthusiasts. Upcoming improvements include guest cabin enhancements, a new dog park, pickleball courts, bathhouse updates, road and lighting improvements, playground expansion, a food truck pavilion, and more.
Earlier this month, the Canaveral Port Authority approved plans for a new commercial fishing facility and waterfront development project with a total investment of $5.2 million by the port. The project, scheduled for completion early next year, will include 16 slip docks, a large outdoor pavilion with fish cleaning stations, office and restroom buildings, and truck and trailer parking and storage facilities.
Port Canaveral is also in the design stages of a future “integrated marina district” that will cater to recreational boaters and accommodate larger boats with improved launching facilities.
Enhancements to commercial fishing and recreational boating facilities will pave the way for construction of Cruise Terminal 4, which is expected to break ground in August 2027 and open before spring break in 2029. The new terminal will take shape on the 11-acre space currently occupied by Blue Point Marina.
Cruise Terminal 10 will also undergo upgrades to accommodate the industry’s largest ships carrying up to 6,700 passengers. The $85 million project will include greater security screening and luggage storage and is expected to be completed in November 2027.
Other port news
Earlier this week, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Compass Hotel Cape Canaveral, a 150-room, six-story “boutique retreat.” The Margaritaville-branded property will be located in one of the properties closest to Port Canaveral and is expected to open in late 2027.
At the Canaveral Port Authority’s July meeting, commissioners discussed the future of the exploration tower. The Exploration Tower cost $23 million when it opened in 2013, but has remained vacant for the past four years. Even when empty, Port Canaveral spends about $250,000 a year on maintenance.
The current $803,000 lease is an obstacle to finding a new tenant, commissioners said. Options discussed include converting the seven-story building into Port Canaveral office, event and learning space, demolishing it and reducing lease rates. Nothing was decided at the July meeting.
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