Carnival receives approval for an expansion of Terminal F in PortMiami

Carnival Cruise Line expressed its gratitude to the Miami-Dade County Commission for approving a proposal for a complete renovation and a major expansion of the F Cruise Terminal in Port Miami that will be able to support the operations of the new Excel-class vessel of Carnival, which opens the way for the sister ship of the Mardi Gras (which has not yet been named) to anchor in Miami when it is delivered in 2022.

"With today's approval, we will move with great speed to execute a plan to remodel and expand Terminal F so that it can accommodate the most innovative class of vessels that will join our fleet," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line “Over the past few months, we had very productive conversations with PortMiami and Miami-Dade leaders about our plans for Miami and our goal of improving and expanding our capacity and operations in our hometown. Everyone is very excited about the fact that Miami is the base port of our next vessel with liquefied natural gas (LNG) in North America and the sister ship of Mardi Gras, which will arrive next August and is generating enormous enthusiasm. Today's vote guarantees that the new ship and the expansion of the terminal will arrive just in time for the 50th anniversary of Carnival in 2022. ”

Carnival Cruise Line is the largest cruise operator in Miami, as it has more ships that depart from the city throughout the year than any other cruise line. The redesigned Terminal F will allow Carnival to remain the market leader, as it will not only be able to house its largest and newest type of vessel, but will also allow the line to bring its next boat with LNG south of Florida. Duffy thanked the local authorities for their efforts to work cooperatively with the company to reach an agreement on the scope, deadlines and design work so that the construction can be completed in time for the arrival of the ship at the end of 2022 Mardi Gras, Carnival's first Excel-class vessel, will be delivered in August 2020 and will be located in Port Canaveral after its inaugural trips from Europe and New York.

When completed, Terminal F will be the third cruise terminal in the PortMiami dedicated to Carnival operations. The agreement includes a commitment from Carnival to keep its ships in Terminal F for 20 years, with the option of two additional seven-year extensions.

The simple and open design of the terminal created by Berenblum Busch Architects of Miami will offer exceptional efficiency and flexibility to house the largest class of Carnival ships, taking full advantage of the use of facial recognition technology and other elements to facilitate movement of passengers during the boarding process.

Expansion plans will result in Terminal F becoming the largest Carnival terminal in North America. All renovations are scheduled to be completed by October 2022 in order to receive the Carnival Excel class ship that will arrive in late 2022.