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Port Canaveral cruise traffic soars to 6.8m in fiscal 2023

Port Canaveral set an all-time high of 6.8m cruise passengers in fiscal 2023, homeporting 13 ships and chalking up 906 calls.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

November 9, 2023

1 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

This is way up from the more than 4m in 2022 when Canaveral for the first time became the world's busiest cruise port. Last year its 4,072,396 multi-day count just topped PortMiami's 4,022,544.

It is also higher than the 6.4m estimated earlier this year

Record operating revenue

Total operating revenue in FY 2023 reached a record $191m, including a high from cruise operations of $158m.

'This is a significant jump from last year when we finished the year at $127 million. It has been quite a year at this port,' CEO Capt. John Murray said during during his annual 'State of the Port' address at Cruise Terminal 1.

Economic powerhouse

Murray called Canaveral an economic powerhouse in Florida, with the central part of the state 'immensely benefiting from our operations, with numerous jobs created, businesses thriving and increased tourism. We play a crucial role in supporting Florida's tourism industry,' he said.

According to the presentation, Canaveral contributed $6.1b to Florida's economy, driving 42,700 jobs with $2.1b in wages. Additionally, the port generated $189.5m in state and local tax revenues.

7.3m cruisers projected in 2024

Looking to 2024, Port Canaveral will again homeport 13 cruise ships and projects a rise to 7.3m revenue passengers on 913 calls.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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