Carnival celebrates new terminal construction at PortMiami as cruises remain canceled
Another new cruise terminal is coming to PortMiami.
Carnival Cruise Line celebrated the groundbreaking on its new $120 million terminal — Terminal F — at the port on Friday, a rare public show of the industry’s future despite its COVID-19 pandemic paralyzation.
“Miami is the cruise capital of the world,” said Christine Duffy, the cruise line’s president. “There’s no way that’s changing anytime soon with the level of commitment, development and support.”
Carnival’s Terminal F — “for fun,” said Duffy — is expected to be completed in September 2022. It is part of PortMiami’s years-long project to remake the Miami skyline. Branded for each of the industry’s cruise companies, the new terminals feature sleek architecture — a far cry from the stout, stucco terminal structures of the past.
Terminals for Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings were completed in 2018 and 2020, respectively. A similar groundbreaking ceremony for Virgin Voyages’ Terminal V took place earlier this month. A terminal deal between Miami-Dade County and MSC Cruises that will possibly include Disney Cruise Line is still being renegotiated.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, port director Juan Kuryla, and several county commissioners attended the Terminal F groundbreaking ceremony Friday. Levine Cava said the celebration symbolized the industry’s recovery.
“Ten months ago the future of the industry was uncertain,” she said. “Now we have a future in which we can adapt, and we will thrive.”
Carnival plans to bring one of its first liquefied natural gas-powered ships in North America — the upcoming Carnival Celebration — to be based at the terminal in 2022. It will be the company’s largest terminal in the world.
Designed by Miami-based Berenblum Busch Architects, the terminal project involves some demolition of existing Terminal F structures, some refurbishing and some new construction. Lemartec Corporation is leading construction, which will employ about 600 people.
Originally expected to cost Miami-Dade $195 million, the price came down to $120,751,934.94 when PortMiami renegotiated deal terms during the pandemic. Carnival has agreed to pay the county back in the form of passenger fees over the course of the 20-year deal.
Cruises on Carnival ships remain canceled in the U.S. through April 30 as cruise lines work to meet requirements outlined in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s conditional sail order issued in October.
Longshoremen, the workers responsible for loading all goods and baggage on and off the ships, are among the local workers hit hardest by the industry’s downturn. At Friday’s event, president of the Longshoremen’s International Association Local 1416 Torin Ragin applauded Carnival’s commitment to PortMiami.
“It takes courage to make the kind of investment in the middle of a pandemic and see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
An earlier version of this story misstated the year that the Carnival Celebration is scheduled to arrive in Miami. It is scheduled to arrive in 2022.
This story was originally published January 29, 2021 at 5:50 PM.
