Canaveral Port Authority begins constructing new cruise terminal

Canaveral Port Authority has officially begun work on its new Cruise Terminal 3. The facility, which will be called Launch Pad, will be home to Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Mardi Gras, from 2020. 

On 18 March, the port held a ‘Go for Launch’ themed event, which gave a nod to its role with the US space programme and the terminal’s futuristic design. Executives from the port and Carnival attended the project’s ground-breaking ceremony as NASA’s ‘Spaceman’ planted a Carnival Cruise Line flag on a simulated lunar landscape.

The US$163 million terminal project is the largest in the Port’s 65-year history and is scheduled for completion in May 2020, ready to welcome Carnival’s first LNG-powered ship Mardi Gras in October 2020. 

“The ground-breaking is a historic milestone for our Port and underscores the long-standing partnership we have with Carnival,” said John Murry, CEO of Port Canaveral. “The trust and confidence we’ve earned with our great cruise partner has been the foundation of success and we are excited for what the future holds. We’re building a great new terminal, for an innovative new ship and looking forward to welcoming home Mardi Gras.” 

Mardi Gras, which will feature new designs by DCA Design International and Studio DADO as well as six themed areas, will start year-round seven-day cruises from Canaveral on 24 October, alternating weekly to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Eastern voyages will stop in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Amber Cove, Dominican Republic and Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos Islands, while Western sailings will travel to Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico and Mahogany Bay, Honduras.

Her arrival in Port Canaveral in 2020 will mark 30 years of Carnival sailings from the port.