By
Rebecca Gibson |
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is to build and operate a new cruise terminal at PortMiami, which will serve as a homeport for Royal Caribbean International ships.
To be constructed on land leased from Miami-Dade County, the 170,000sqft terminal is expected to open in 2018 and will be able to accommodate Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ship.
Broadway Malyan will design the terminal, which has been nicknamed the 'Crown of Miami' owing to the fact that its design evokes the points of a crown when viewed from the water; the 'M' of Miami when viewed from the east or western approaches; and waves rising or ships passing when viewed from the terminal side. The terminal's facade will be illuminated at night.
“We are truly excited to be working with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal, but a truly iconic building," said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "This new terminal is a symbol of our commitment to Miami, the city where our company first started almost 50 years ago. We can't wait to bring an Oasis-class ship to PortMiami."
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 passengers at PortMiami. This will account for around 30% of the port's projected passenger traffic.
"Miami-Dade County is happy to welcome Royal Caribbean's expansion at PortMiami and all the economic benefits that come along with it," said Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Mayor. "This public-private partnership will have an estimated economic impact of US$500 million and generate approximately 4,000 jobs. Royal Caribbean has been an important part of our world-class community for almost 50 years, and this expansion will once again make PortMiami Royal Caribbean's largest cruise port in the world. I thank them for their continued investment in and commitment to Miami-Dade."
The agreement will be presented to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners on 6 July.