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Royal Caribbean has announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art cruise terminal at PortMiami to serve as home for one of the world’s largest cruise ships.
The announcement comes after Royal Caribbean reached an agreement with Miami-Dade County to construct and operate the new terminal on leased land at the port. The 170,000 square-foot terminal will be Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the world and will serve as homeport to Royal Caribbean International ships, including a 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ship, beginning in late 2018.
“Miami-Dade County is happy to welcome Royal Caribbean’s expansion at PortMiami, and all the economic benefits that come along with it,” said Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Mayor. “This public-private partnership will have an estimated economic impact of $500 million and generate approximately 4,000 jobs.”
Not only will the terminal be remarkable for its size, but also for its architectural design.
“We are truly excited to be working with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal, but a truly iconic building,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Royal Caribbean has nicknamed the new terminal “Crown of Miami” due to its distinct shape.
“The design evokes the points of the symbolic headgear when viewed from the water; the ‘M’ of Miami when viewed from the east or western approaches; and a sense of waves rising or ships passing when viewed from the terminal side. At night, the terminal’s facade will be lit ensuring that the building makes a striking impression and providing a dynamic addition to the PortMiami landscape,” Royal Caribbean described in a press release.
Broadway Malyan has been selected as the firm to design the new terminal following a global competition involving five of the world’s leading architectural firms. Royal Caribbean said its design was chosen for their “creative thinking and cutting-edge design”.
In addition to the new terminal, Royal Caribbean has also committed to add a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters located at PortMiami. For that project the company is invested to spend about $20 million for design, construction, equipment, labor and other related expenses for the two-story building.
“This new terminal is a symbol of our commitment to Miami, the city where our company first started almost 50 years ago. We can’t wait to bring an Oasis-class ship to PortMiami,” added Fain.
PortMiami currently welcomes approximately 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing about 15 percent of its overall passenger traffic. But Royal Caribbean says that once the new cruise terminal is completed, it is anticipated that Royal Caribbean will generate at least 1.8 million passengers at PortMiami, “representing no less than 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic”.
Royal Caribbean’s existing Oasis-class ships, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, are both homeported at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, although Royal Caribbean plans to move Oasis of the Seas to Port Canaveral this fall. The third Oasis-class ship, the recently delivered Harmony of the Seas, will be homeported in Port Everglades beginning in November spending its inaugural summer season in Europe.
Royal Caribbean is also building a fourth Oasis-class ship scheduled for delivery in 2018, as well as a planned fifth ship due in 2021.
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