By
Rebecca Gibson |
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2019 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
Located in the heart of South Florida in the US, Port Everglades updates its 20-Year Master/Vision Plan every two to four years to align its capital improvement plans with technology advances and deployment trends in the cruise industry. Port officials and their consulting team from Bermello Ajamil & Partners regularly meet with the port’s cruise line partners and other stakeholders to discuss their needs and expectations for the coming decades.
“Our Master/Vision Plan is a roadmap for the future,” says Glenn Wiltshire, Port Everglades’ acting chief executive and port director. “As cruise lines build more technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable cruise ships, and want the flexibility to do quicker turns, we must be ready with modernised cruise terminals that will meet the cruise line’s needs.”
According to market projections from the plan update, Port Everglades has the potential to increase passenger volumes – just under four million annually today – by more than 50% by 2038.
“If fully executed, the plan may require trade-offs affecting other business lines that would not be in the port’s best interest, but many of the ideas are doable,” says Wiltshire.
An idea that grew out of a previous version of the Master/Vision Plan was to build a new secure parking garage to serve Cruise Terminals 2 and 4. The new 1,888-space garage is currently under construction, with an autumn 2020 completion date. It will feature an air-conditioned bridge with moving walkways to deliver guests to Terminal 2, Princess Cruises’ prototype Ocean Medallion terminal.
Port officials also hired consultants to complete a traffic study as part of this Master/Vision Plan update. The study is gathering traffic data on the port’s interior roads and the roadways in the surrounding community to make improvement recommendations.
Also on the horizon for 2020 is a new signage project that combines art with wayfinding. Directional signage with images of colourful birds, fish and palm trees native to Florida will be used to create an intuitive and easy-to-navigate visual map for visitors to find cruise terminals and parking garages.
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