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Port Canaveral Celebrates Record Year

[ December 3, 2024   //   Gary G Burrows ]

Port Canaveral showed revenue growth across all business sectors in its fiscal year 2024. and the South Atlantic port projects a strong outlook for the coming fiscal year.
Canaveral Port Authority CEO Capt. John Murray, in his “State of the Port” address Nov. 20, said the port’s total earned revenues came in at US$191 million with cruise operations contributing US$156 million, cargo US$23 million and non-ship operations at US$12 million.
“Port Canaveral continues to be a strategic economic driver for creating jobs, helping local businesses to grow and prosper, and bringing more guests to experience all that our port community has to offer,” Murray told about 250 business and community leaders.
Building upon its distinction as the world’s second busiest cruise port, Port Canaveral handled a record 7.6 million passenger movements, a 12-percent increase over FY2023 – with 13 homeported ships, 911 cruise ship calls, and 914,000 vehicles parked. The port added new parking facilities and an upgraded parking processing system during the year.
Cargo operations made significant contributions, as well, with the 728 ship calls discharging 6.6 million tons of critical commodities, including 3.6 million tons of transportation fuels, 1.8 million tons of aggregates, and 732,000 tons of lumber and forest products.
Port Canaveral anticipates another robust business year in FY 2025, with growth in cruise and cargo sectors leading to total projected revenues of US$211 million, broken down as cruise, US$175 million; Cargo, US$24 million; and non-ship US$12 million.
The port’s cruise business will expand to 16 homeported ships with a projected 8.4 million passenger movements, 1,030 ship calls and multiple ship upgrades and exchanges, including Royal Caribbean’s new Icon-class LNG-powered Star of the Seas and the addition of Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, each homeporting ships at Port Canaveral for the first time.
Other highlights of the past year included the deployment of a second mobile harbor crane and renovation of North Cruise Berth 4.
The port said its continued commitment to environmental sustainability included earning Green Marine recertification, piloting the National Stormwater Trust’s new smart pond technology that automatically adjusts water levels during severe weather and serving as a local sponsor for the US$100 million federally funded U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sand Bypass and Brevard County beach nourishment projects as well as maintenance dredging.
A video of the State of the Ports address is available at https://youtu.be/29Mi4IYPTnI.

Tags: Port Canaveral