By
Alex Smith |
PortMiami and Carnival Cruise Line have held a ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of Terminal F, which will serve as the homeport of Carnival Celebration, Carnival’s next Excel-class ship.
Mayor of Miami-Dade Daniella Levine Cava and Carnival’s president Christine Duffy used ceremonial shovels to officially mark the beginning of construction. The 471,000-square-foot facility will be Carnival’s third terminal at the port and its largest in South Florida. The terminal’s open design is intended to efficiently accommodate Carnival’s Excel-class ships, moving guests quickly through the embarkation process.
"I'm grateful to Carnival Cruise Line and Lemartec for their partnership with Miami-Dade County," said Mayor Levine Cava. "Despite the global pandemic, today's groundbreaking is another example of the growth happening at PortMiami – the cruise capital of the world – and how together, we can and we will continue to thrive."
Carnival Cruise Line’s first ship, Mardi Gras, departed on its inaugural voyage from Port Miami in March 1972.
"We are proud of Carnival's role in making Miami the cruise capital of the world, and today marks the continuation of an incredible 50-year partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County,” said Duffy. “This expanded terminal built specifically for Carnival Celebration will make an incredible addition to the existing facilities at our largest embarkation port. My most sincere thanks to Mayor Levine Cava and all of the Miami-Dade officials who made this day possible.”
Carnival Celebration will feature an onboard roller coaster and an LNG propulsion system. She is currently under construction at Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, and is set to debut in 2022.