Port Canaveral 'thinking outside the box' after cruise terminal reversal

'Everything is on the table,' including looking beyond the Bluepoints Marina area that was identified earlier, Murray said. He spoke just after port commissioners bowed to Florida officials' concerns that a cruise terminal at NCB8 could jeopardize space industry growth.

There may be multiple options for a new cruise facility, Murray said, putting a positive spin on this turn of events that's spurring port staff to think beyond what he called a 'standard' terminal.

'I've got very smart people here. Let's push the envelope,' he said.

Bluepoints Marina

Redeveloping the Bluepoints Marina for cruising is still doable, but it's 'very complex,' with a variety of tenants there to be relocated and the need to adapt roadway access and traffic flow.

So other locations are going to be considered as well.

The need is pressing.

Canaveral expects 7.3m cruise passengers in fiscal 2024, rising to 8.4m in 2025. In comparison, PortMiami's last publicly announced tally, for fiscal 2023, was 7,299,294 and is certain to be up this year and beyond. 

Accommodating cruise partners

Murray's been in touch with all cruise line partners to assure them Canaveral is working to accommodate their growing berthing needs. 'Keeping our partners close is always the way we try to do things,' he said.

That includes Norwegian Cruise Line, whose Norwegian Joy was scheduled to be the first user of the NCB8 facility starting in late 2025. The port has offered three alternative options for NCL to consider.

An NCL spokesperson said the company had no comment at this time.

And MSC Cruises, also planned to move to that facility, is currently accommodated at Cruise Terminal 10, with the possibility to use other terminals though there are challenges with ship size.

Florida could lose out

Florida officials are committed to a thriving space industry. But the cruise business is important for the state, too. And beyond developments in progress like PortMiami's new berths for MSC and Royal Caribbean, Murray said 'There's no more berth space' at the South Florida homeports, citing a wharf study.

'If we start telling cruise lines no, they'll have no choice but to deploy to another market,' he continued. Should that happen, 'The state's going to lose the business. It's not just the port.'

Ships could go to other states, such as Texas or California, where new cruise terminals are coming at Galveston and Los Angeles, or head north to Norfolk, Virginia or even not come to the US at all. However, with the short cruise business booming, South Florida offers the edge for three-/four-day itineraries.

Cruise revenues

In terms of annual port revenues, cruise leads at Canaveral with $197m, followed by cargo with $24m, parks and recreation at $3m-$4m. The space business accounts for only about 1% of total revenues.

But the financial return to the port doesn't matter, Murray said — it's what these businesses mean for Florida, and the state prioritizes the space industry.

He added Port Canaveral does its best to balance the needs of all users. It will 'always be able to handle' the space industry's requirements for recovering space capsules, while 'parking' for space-related assets the rest of the time can be an issue.