The Disney Difference? Port Canaveral Surpasses Miami as Most-Visited Cruise Port in the World
Port Canaveral has once again pulled ahead of PortMiami to become the busiest cruise port in the world.
The friendly competition between the two Florida ports came down to the wire this year, with Port Canaveral welcoming 8,602,047 passengers compared to Miami’s 8.5 million.
Photo: Port Canaveral
Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the title of world’s busiest cruise port has bounced between Canaveral and Miami. In 2022, Port Canaveral outperformed Miami, rebounding more quickly from the devastation the cruise line industry had previously faced.
Photo: portcanaveral.com
Since 2023, however, Miami has reclaimed the crown. Now, it is Canaveral that is back on top.
A Banner Year For Port Canaveral
Breaking down the latest travel figures, Port Canaveral had 16 home-ported ships this year.
The Disney Dream at Port Canaveral (2021 by WKMG ClickOrlando
Passenger-wise, the port grew 13.3% from the 7.9 million guests it welcomed a year ago.
The record-breaking number of passengers comes as Port Canaveral is about to embark on a $255 million capital plan for Fiscal Year 2026.
These renovations will include the long-awaited expansion of Terminal 5.
The Future Looks Bright
Looking ahead, Port Canaveral expects 9 million passengers to pass through next year. Additionally, the port will see two more ships added to its roster.
Photo: Disney
For CEO John Murray, there is plenty to be excited about.
“This past year is a complete representation of what the industry is like today. We’re all sailing at 100%,” he told Florida Today.
Photo: goport.com
“We’ve got two great seaports in Florida, and we’re competitive with our number of passengers. The fact that we can all be hitting these numbers is fantastic.”
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