Port Canaveral located in central Florida is continuing to experience strong growth as not only the second-busiest cruise homeport, but also in its cargo operations and support of the space programs. The port mapped out a comprehensive five-year plan to expand capacity and capabilities across all aspects of its business operations which include investing upwards of $500 million in landside and waterside improvements.
Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO highlights that the “Port Canaveral Advantage” plan is a port-wide continuous improvement program that identifies near- to long-term needs for enhancements and upgrades to port assets and operations. Within a five-year planning window, the program includes large-scale, high-value critical infrastructure projects associated with new cruise ship arrivals, modernizing and expanding cargo berths and bulkheads, upgrading facilities maintenance, deploying new technologies across a spectrum of operations and renovations to the port’s recreational facilities including Jetty Park.
“These port-wide investments are designed to leverage the Port’s success to benefit communities from the Space Coast to Central Florida, and throughout the state,” said stated Capt. Murray. “Our goal and commitment are to always be the best port possible for our valued partners, guests, and visitors.”
Several cruise-related projects are about to get underway at Port Canaveral, with one of the most ambitious being the expansion of Cruise Terminal 5. The design project, awarded to BEA Architects of Miami, will increase the terminal’s size by 65 percent to accommodate larger vessels. During an estimated 16-month construction period, the cruise terminal would continue to operate without interrupting scheduled ship turns.
In addition to expanding CT-5, the port plans to enhance Cruise Terminal 10 to expand its capacity beginning with a feasibility study that is expected to be completed by June 2025. The project’s goals include expanding the terminal’s capacity to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships up to 5,600 passengers and berthing up to 1,200 feet in length.
Exterior upgrades at Cruise Terminal 1 will begin in May 2025 and include new canopies and walkways, updated landscaping, and new lighting. These upgrades are in addition to refurbishments to the adjacent cruise parking garage with new paint, landscaping, and perimeter fencing plus gangway upgrades.
New cruise ships including the Norwegian Aqua arriving at the port in April for the first time are propelling the growth (Port Canaveral Authority)
The investment in the cruise operations comes as the port recorded its busiest month ever in March handling 925,994 passengers coming and going from the cruise ships, a 16 percent increase over last year. It was the second record month following 837,900 passengers in December 2024. For the first six months in FY 2025, the port has already handled 4.42 million passengers, and they are projecting the port will reach 8.4 million passengers for the full year up from 7.6 million last year.
One of the challenges for the port is balancing the fast growth in cruise with its commercial operations. As part of the investments, the port plans to renovate existing pier structures on the south side of the port to create additional multipurpose, multiuser berth space and improve vessel turn times. Renovations for the two north side cargo berths – North Cargo Berths 3 and 4 – are nearing completion adding 1,800 linear feet of multipurpose bulkhead space while ongoing improvements include harbor deepening and berth box dredging to accommodate larger vessels, seawall and uplands facility upgrades, and the addition of a third mobile harbor crane set to arrive later this year. Roadway improvements are also underway to improve access to and from cargo terminals, ease roadway congestion, and reduce truck wait times.
Port Canaveral also has a long-standing role in supporting America’s space program. Today, two commercial space companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, have maritime operations at the port utilizing multiple cargo berths for their vessels’ dockage and for offloading and transporting recovered launch vehicle components.
The port plans to self-fund its improvements operating without taxpayer contributions. Port Canaveral Chief Financial Officer Jeff Long reported at the recent board meeting that the port was having a “very healthy financial year so far,” in FY 2025. Approximately 84 percent of the port’s operating revenue for the first six months of the FY came from cruise operations. Between October 2024 and March 2025, total operating revenues reached nearly $112 million with reports indicating passenger counts were ahead of plan and the outlook remains strong in all areas of the port’s business.
