Facility to open in November 2018 when Allure of the Seas and new Symphony of the Seas arrive in US city
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Royal Caribbean International broke ground on its new cruise terminal at PortMiami in Miami, US on 8 March 2017.
Dubbed the ‘Crown of Miami’ due to its structure, the 170,000sqft terminal has been designed by Broadway Malyan and will be constructed on land leased from Miami-Dade County. The facility is scheduled for completion in November 2018, when Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ships Allure of the Seas and the yet-to-be-delivered Symphony of the Seas arrive in Miami to start their Caribbean itineraries.
Currently, PortMiami welcomes around 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing about 15% of its overall passenger traffic. Once the new cruise terminal is completed, it is anticipated that Royal Caribbean will generate at least 1.8 million passenger moves at PortMiami. This will account for around 30% of the port's projected passenger traffic.
Symphony of the Seas is currently under construction at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France and will be the line’s fourth Oasis-class ship. Weighing 230,000gt and boasting 28 more staterooms than her newest sister ship Harmony of the Seas, the newbuild will also be the world’s largest cruise vessel when she is delivered in April 2018.
Following her delivery, Symphony of the Seas will spend her inaugural summer season in the Mediterranean. She will then reposition to Miami in early November to begin seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.