Port Canaveral posts record March cruise traffic; commission advances terminal and park projects

Port Canaveral officials reported record cruise activity in March and higher year-to-date operating revenue at the authority’s April 23 commission meeting, and staff described capital projects underway at the port, including Jetty Park improvements and early work on Cruise Terminal 5.

The port’s operations update matters because passenger volumes and new ship commitments affect near-term revenue, berth capacity planning and capital investments at Port Canaveral.

Commissioners heard that March was a record month for cruise passengers and revenue. Captain Murray (Port CEO) reported 926,000 cruise passengers in March and said the port recorded 543 ship calls and 4.4 million multi-day passengers in the first six months of the fiscal year. Finance staff reported March operating revenue of about $23.3 million and operating income for the month of approximately $11.1 million; six‑month operating revenue was stated at about $112 million and operating income year-to-date about $45 million.

Murray said the port has active negotiations with cruise lines and noted two recent ship announcements: Carnival Cruise Line plans to homeport the Carnival Festivale (an Excel-class LNG vessel) at Port Canaveral when delivered in 2027, and MSC’s MSC World Atlantic is also committed to Port Canaveral with delivery expected in late 2027. Murray and staff said the port is approaching terminal capacity and is planning ways to increase berth availability and terminal capability.

On capital projects, staff recommended Kinley Horn & Associates as the apparent winner to design improvements at Jetty Park; the project vision includes upgraded RV utility services and concrete pads, new playground equipment, bathhouse improvements or replacement, paving, lighting and potential amenities such as a dog park and pickleball courts. Staff estimated about 6–9 months for permitting and roughly 12 months of construction after design, and said the commission currently has about $13 million in project funding in the capital budget for Jetty Park work.

On Cruise Terminal 5 (CT5), staff said the design is about 30% complete and recommended hiring ProCon as owner’s-representation services for an initial phase not to exceed $300,000. The initial scope would include constructability and schedule reviews, procurement review and project setup with the construction manager and designer, with a full contract value to be presented later.

Facilities staff also described a stormwater-pond infill contract and a related change order: as work exposed the tops of large concrete weir boxes, staff said the tops required replacement and requested a change order of approximately $230,000 to cast and replace the two tops. Staff noted the pond had been dewatered and that wildlife removal (including alligators and fish) required coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Staff also described an emergency repair at Cruise Terminal 10: a lifting-frame failure fractured structural steel on a west gangway. Ivy’s (a construction contractor) expedited materials from Alabama and completed a rapid repair; staff requested authorization to approve the contractor’s invoice for the emergency work and the commission approved that request as part of the consent agenda.

Commissioners discussed operational impacts from the surge in traffic, praised staff for handling large passenger volumes and noted supply-chain and labor considerations for equipment such as spare boarding bridges and a planned new crane and boarding-bridge deliveries. Captain Murray said the cruise industry remains strong and the port is positioned to benefit from new larger LNG‑powered vessels scheduled to homeport in 2027.

No new authorizations for full CT5 construction funding were made at the meeting; staff requested authorization to negotiate and to execute initial owner’s‑rep services and to return with contract amounts for later approval.