Cruise: Miami, Montréal

PortMiami set a world record by processing more than 5.3 million cruise travelers in fiscal year 2016-2017. That was up from 4.98 million the previous year and 4.92 million in FY 2014-15.

 

October/September is PortMiami’s fiscal year.

 

The cruise footprint at PortMiami is quickly changing, with new cruise berths and terminals, including intermodal and parking facilities are in the works to accommodate growing numbers of passengers and ships.

 

Earlier this year, Royal Caribbean International and Miami-Dade County broke ground on the cruise line’s new Cruise Terminal A, which is scheduled to open in late 2018.  The more than $200 million public-private partnership with Miami-Dade County includes the development, construction, and operation of the cruise terminal.

 

PortMiami’s Cruise Terminal F is undergoing renovations and expansion in preparation for the arrival this month of MSC Seaside.  In November, Miami welcomed home Viking Ocean Cruises with the dockings of Viking Sky and Viking Sun.

 

The expansion continues in 2018 with the arrivals of Carnival Cruise Lines’ Carnival Horizon and Carnival Magic; Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Bliss; and Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas.

 

MSC Cruises’ MSC Meraviglia will also be joining the Miami fleet in 2019 and Virgin Voyages in spring 2020.

 

"PortMiami is committed to its cruise partners," said PortMiami Director and CEO Juan M. Kuryla, PPM®.  "The Port team values each and every cruise line that has chosen Miami as a homeport.  We are focused on delivering quality service, seamless operations, and all-around excellence. We continue to invest in cruise terminal infrastructure for the next generation of cruise ships."

 

Click here to learn more about cruising from PortMiami. 

 

 

The Port of Montréal welcomed 114,517 passengers and crew members during the 2017 cruise season, a 33 percent increase compared to 2016 and 140 percent since 2011. From May through October, the port received 52 vessel calls at its Alexander Pier and Terminal T3 cruise facilities. The traffic included 21 ships operated by 16 cruise lines. The port also received 16 domestic cruises operating between Montréal and the Magdalen Islands. 

 

Data collected by the Montréal Cruise Committee indicates that 68 percent of this year’s cruise tourist passengers were from the United States, 12 percent from the United Kingdom, 7 percent from Canada, and 5 percent from Australia.  Furthermore, nearly 70 percent of the passengers who began or ended a cruise in Montréal prolonged their stay by an average of two nights.

 

Three new luxury international cruise liners visited Montréal for the first time this season – Viking Cruises’ MS Viking Sky and MS Viking Sea and Silversea Cruises’ MS Silver Muse from Silversea Cruises. 

 

The season opened on May 6 with the arrival of Holland America’s MS Veendam from Holland-America and closed October 27 with the departure of Seven Seas Mariner.

 

"I would like to congratulate and extend my sincere thanks to the Montréal Cruise Committee's partners and teams on the ground for receiving a record number of cruise passengers and crew members in 2017," said Sylvie Vachon, president and CEO of the Montréal Port Authority. "Since June 10, we have been proudly welcoming ships to our revamped cruise terminal in the Port of Montréal. It features modern and effective infrastructure for use by visitors and cruise lines, in addition to an international-caliber maritime architectural signature."

 

Current forecasts indicate that the 2018 cruise season will draw approximately 130,000 passengers and crew members.