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 on the east coast of Florida in the US, Port Canaveral is a popular cruise port for Caribbean itineraries and for guests visiting the state’s famous attractions.
“As a family market we have a tremendous number of drive-in guests from the Southeast US,” explains Captain John Murray, CEO of the Canaveral Port Authority. “People marry their cruise vacation with a trip to Walt Disney World Resort or Universal Studios in Orlando. While folks are there, they often take a cruise out of Port Canaveral.”
The mutually beneficial relationship with local attractions means that the port also drives significant business for the community.
“We have a big impact on the local hotels, restaurants and shuttle services,” Murray says. “People bring their families the night before the cruise and pile into a shuttle to get down to the ship first thing in the morning. The prosperity of our community partners is important to us; if they are successful, we are all successful. We like being the easiest port for cruise guests to get on and off the ship, and we need our community partners to make that happen.”
To ensure the port lives up to its ‘easy in, easy out’ motto, Canaveral Port Authority has been expanding its infrastructure.
“Right now, we are working on the North Cargo Berth 8 which will be a multi-purpose berth,” says Murray. “It’s the last undeveloped property in the port and will be used for general cargo and as a cruise port of call.
“We are also building Cruise Terminal 3. The US$165 million project will be the largest in the history of the port and will be the homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s first LNG ship, Mardi Gras, when she enters service in 2020. It will be one of our largest facilities at 188,000 square feet.”
With the forthcoming arrival of Carnival’s largest-ever ship, Canaveral Port Authority has been making some preparatory arrangements. “For the past few years we have been working on becoming a port that can provide LNG, the cleanest burning fuel, to the cruise industry,” explains Murray. “We want to be the first port to accommodate all of the cruise lines that have an LNG vessel; after all we are North America’s first LNG cruise port.”
The port isn’t stopping its environmental efforts there, however.
“We are always engaged in environmental activities, for example with water testing and keeping the harbour clear,” he says. “We are also a member of the Green Marine International Society for Ports.”
This certification programme addresses key environmental issues. Participants, such as Port Canaveral, must benchmark their annual environmental performance and have their results verified and published.
“We also largely focus on the region’s sea life,” Murray adds. “There are a lot of sea turtles that swim throughout the port. It is a very interesting place and it’s in our best interest to keep it clean.”
While the port is pursuing many sustainable routes to improve its impact on the environment, Murray doesn’t believe shore power is the answer.
“Although shore power is definitely a viable option for destination ports in which cruise ships are staying for a few days, for us, it is a bit trickier,” he says. “Ships aren’t normally in the port long enough to hook up to shore power.”
Offering homeporting facilities for Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, Canaveral is a busy embarkation port. As such, it has a distinct role to play in working with other ports to ensure efficient operations within an itinerary.
“The industry has changed a huge amount in the past 30 years,” Murray begins. “We have terminals that were built back in the 1990s that can only accommodate up to 3,000 passengers. But with upwards of 5,000 passengers arriving on some of the newer ships, we have to adjust.
“We need to create the facilities to ensure that the 13,000 passengers getting on and off one of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships can transfer in the same amount of time as 5,000 passengers a few years ago. It’s our job to build the right size facility with the right number of customer stations and seats, as well as to facilitate the road infrastructure for smooth ground transportation. We work very closely with the cruise lines to make that happen.”
With so many opportunities as its disposal, it’s no surprise that Port Canaveral is seeing great success.
“We are doing quite well at the moment,” remarks Murray. “The port has some new ships coming in and some older vessels leaving; it is always nice to have a ship refresh. For example, Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas replaced Oasis of the Seas in spring and we are excited to welcome Carnival’s Mardi Gras home next year.”
However, complacency isn’t a word used to describe Murray. Despite the port’s success, Canaveral Port Authority continues to strive to be bigger and better.
“Our vision for the future is to grow in a measured way,” Murray explains. “With the South Florida ports getting full, and with space to develop two or three more cruise terminals here, we are getting ready to accommodate other brands when they do come our way. Ultimately though, we want to provide the best cruise guest experience of any port – easy in, easy out.”
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