By
Rebecca Gibson |
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. opened Terminal A – the largest cruise terminal in the US – at PortMiami in Florida on 2 November.
Designed by architecture firm Broadway Maylan, the 17,000-square-foot terminal was built on land leased by Miami-Dade County. The facility has been dubbed the ‘Crown of Miami’ because its structure evokes the points of Royal Caribbean’s crown and anchor logo when viewed from the water, as well as the ‘M’ of Miami when viewed from the east or western approaches, and waves rising or ships passing when seen from the terminal side.
Terminal A was constructed in compliance with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and is equipped with advanced technologies to enhance the waiting areas and facial recognition technology at Customs and Border Patrol to expedite the disembarkation process.
The terminal will serve as a homeport for Royal Caribbean International’s 5,400-guest Oasis-class ships, such as Allure of the Seas and the new Symphony of the Seas, which debuted earlier this year. The vessels will sail Caribbean itineraries from the port.
“We look forward to all the new and exciting developments the opening of Terminal A will bring to our cruise lines, our guests, and the Miami community,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “We are proud that our Oasis-class vessels, each hosting more than 5,000 guests, will now be able to call on PortMiami.”
Royal Caribbean now expects to bring almost two million guests to PortMiami every year, which will account for around 30% of the port’s total projected passenger traffic. This marks a significant rise from the 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers that used to visit annually, representing 15% of Miami’s overall cruise visitors.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of Terminal A, the largest cruise port in the US and would like to thank Royal Caribbean for its continued support of the Miami community,” said Carlos Giménez, Mayor of Miami-Dade County. “With the opening of Terminal A, we are excited to welcome even more visitors to Miami.”
Royal Caribbean is just one of several large cruise operators that have built, or are building, dedicated cruise terminals at PortMiami.
MSC Cruises, which opened Terminal F as a homeport for MSC Divina and its 5,170-passenger flagship MSC Seaside in December 2017, is to build a new cruise terminal capable of accommodating its yet-to-be-launched 7,000-guest World Class cruise ships. The cruise line, which uses PortMiami as its exclusive US homeport, expects to complete Cruise Terminal AAA by October 2022.
Norwegian Cruise Lines Holding has also started constructing a terminal for its Norwegian Cruise Line brand, which is expected to be opened in November 2019 when its newest Breakaway Plus-class ship, Norwegian Encore, makes her Miami debut.