Florida’s Port Canaveral has been named the Greatest US Homeport for 2023 within the annual Cruise Hive Awards. It’s the fourth consecutive 12 months the port has gained the distinction.
Port Canaveral Retains Crown as High Homeport in United States
Positioned on the state’s east coast, Port Canaveral earned 34% of the vote, greater than twice the votes of second-place finisher PortMiami. Almost 20 ports in complete competed for the annual honor.
The Cruise Hive Awards have been an annual function since 2014. Voting opened on October 1, 2023, and closed on Friday, December 22. Cruise Hive readers might every forged one vote in every of the eight classes. Test the outcomes to this point proper right here.
The Cruise Hive Awards make the second milestone for Port Canaveral in 2023. In February 2023, the Florida Ports Council introduced that the port – east of Orlando on the state’s Atlantic coast – had 4.07 million multi-day passengers in 2022. That topped Miami’s complete of 4.02 million, making Port Canaveral the world’s busiest cruise port for 2022. That designation was reversed this December when PortMiami regained the title for 2023.
Port Canaveral is dwelling to lots of the business’s high cruise traces, together with Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Royal Caribbean Worldwide. It gives easy accessibility to greater than 50 locations, together with the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Japanese and Western Mexico.
Friends touring via the port laud its brief switch time from Orlando Worldwide Airport and the parking availability. Its proximity to Walt Disney World, Common Studios Florida, and SeaWorld Orlando makes it a handy port for household vacationers.
PortMiami and Port Everglades End in High 3 for Greatest US Homeport
Ending second within the Cruise Hive Awards for Greatest US Homeport in 2023 was PortMiami with 16% of the vote. Its location on the southern tip of Florida makes it a well-liked spot to start cruises to the Japanese, Western, and Southern Caribbean, therefore its nickname the “Cruise Capital of the World.”
In third place with 14% of the votes was Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, giving Florida ports the highest three spots on the Cruise Hive record. Port Everglades is dwelling to numerous cruise traces, together with Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Movie star Cruises, and Royal Caribbean.
PortMiami and Port Everglades additionally completed in second and third place, respectively, within the three earlier years.
Port of Galveston in Texas completed in fourth place in 2023 with 8% of the vote. Positioned on the Gulf of Mexico, the port lately invested $250 million in enhancements to accommodate Carnival’s latest ship, Carnival Jubilee. The ship started its sailings from the port starting December 23, 2023, and is scheduled to stay home-ported in Galveston till no less than April 2026.
Port Tampa Bay was voted into fifth place with 3% of the reader vote, adopted by Port of San Diego (3%), Port of New Orleans (3%), Port of Baltimore (3%), Bayonne in New Jersey (2%), Port of Seattle (2%), and Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York (2%).
Port of Lengthy Seaside and Port of Los Angeles in California, Port of Charleston in South Carolina, Port of Boston, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, JAXPORT in Florida, and Port of Cell in Alabama additionally acquired votes however garnered lower than 2% of the general complete.
Port Canaveral Tasks Extra Development in 2024
Positioned 45 miles east of Orlando, Port Canaveral initially opened in 1953 and primarily served Florida’s industrial fishing business. Within the Nineteen Sixties, it took on an vital function in America’s house program because the homeport for the close by Kennedy Area Middle.
In 1982, Port Canaveral opened its first devoted cruise terminal. Carnival Cruise Line homeported its first ship there in 1990, adopted by Disney Cruise Line in 1998, and Royal Caribbean in 2000.
Learn Additionally: 10 Wonderful Issues to Do in Port Canaveral
“We’re very excited for the long run,” mentioned Capt. John Murray, Port Canaveral CEO, at November 2023’s State of the Port deal with. “We’ve some nice belongings coming on-line within the subsequent few years and a variety of surprises for the enterprise as a complete.”
For 2024, officers at Port Canaveral venture its terminals will homeport 13 cruise ships, host 7.3 million passengers and count on 913 ship calls.
