Travelore Cruise News: Florida Fast Train To Connect Miami Cruise Port With Orlando

MIAMI (AP) — Florida’s new high speed rail system is building a station at PortMiami, giving theme park tourists the opportunity for a car-free vacation by connecting them to the busy cruise ship destination.

Brightline said Tuesday it will build a station at PortMiami by 2020. The Virgin Trains will ultimately connect a crucial 170-mile (275-kilometer) stretch from West Palm Beach to Orlando and its theme parks. It’s scheduled to open in 2022. Another station in Aventura has been approved, and the company is working with Boca Raton to add a station there.

PortMiami is home to 22 cruise lines and served more than 5.5 million travelers last year.

Royal Caribbean Opens Opens Terminal A, The Largest Terminal in the U.S., In Miami-Dade County #Cruise

  

MIAMI– Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) has officially opened Terminal A, the largest cruise port in the U.S., in collaboration with Miami-Dade County. The new terminal will be a striking addition to PortMiami and will serve as homeport to Royal Caribbean International ships such as Symphony of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, two of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships.

“Terminal A is an important milestone in the growth of the cruise industry in South Florida and underscores our commitment to Miami, where our company was founded almost 50 years ago,” said Richard D. Fain, CEO and Chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of Terminal A, the largest cruise port in the U.S. and would like to thank Royal Caribbean for their continued support of the Miami community,” said Carlos A. Giménez, Mayor of Miami- Dade County. “With the opening of Terminal A, we are excited to welcome even more visitors to Miami,” said Giménez.

PortMiami currently serves 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing roughly 15% of the port’s overall passenger traffic. Because of the new terminal, Royal Caribbean expects to increase its Miami passenger intake to nearly 2 million annually. This will make PortMiami Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the U.S., solidifying PortMiami’s status as the Cruise Capital of the World.

“We look forward to all the new and exciting developments the opening of Terminal A will bring to our cruise lines, our guests, and the Miami community. We are proud that our Oasis class vessels, each hosting more than 5,000 guests, will now be able to call on PortMiami,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International.

Terminal A will accommodate the passengers of two of the world’s largest ships in the Oasis class, the new Symphony of the Seas and her sister, Allure of the Seas. The new LEED certified facility, which is the largest and most modern cruise facility in the U.S., has leveraged new technologies to enhance the waiting areas and boarding experience of guests. Overall, the design evokes the points in Royal Caribbean’s crown and anchor logo 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. As a result, the terminal will serve as a dynamic addition to the Miami skyline.

About Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that controls and operates four global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises and Silversea Cruises. We are also a 50 percent joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises and a 49 percent shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur Cruceros. Together, these brands operate a combined total of 59 ships with an additional 15 on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on all seven continents.

Additional information can be found on www.rclcorporate.com.

Royal Caribbean And Miami-Dade County Break Ground To Build World-Class Cruise Terminal At PortMiami

 
The State-of-the-Art Terminal will Become Home to Two of the Largest Oasis-Class ships – Allure of the Seas and the Newly Announced Symphony of the Seas
 

MIAMI-Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) together with Miami-Dade County, today broke ground for the new cutting edge cruise Terminal A at PortMiami. Terminal A will be a striking addition to PortMiami, serving as homeport to several Royal Caribbean International ships, including two of the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships – Allure of the Seas and the newly announced Symphony of the Seas.
 
“This is an exciting collaboration with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal but an iconic state-of-the-art facility,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Terminal A reinforces our unwavering commitment to our hometown, the city where our company first started nearly 50 years ago.” 
 
“Miami-Dade County is happy to welcome Royal Caribbean’s Terminal A, and the economic factors that will benefit Miami-Dade," said Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Mayor. “Our public-private partnership will have an estimated economic impact of $500 million and generate more than 4,000 jobs. This will make PortMiami Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the U.S., solidifying PortMiami’s status as the 'Cruise Capital of the World.’” 

Once completed in October 2018, Terminal A will be LEED certified and accommodate a 1,300-foot long ship. Royal Caribbean will implement the best technologies to deliver a state-of-the-art guest experience. Terminal A will not be the only addition for Royal Caribbean this year, RCL has added a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters. The Innovation Lab will continue to generate the design of Royal Caribbean’s industry-leading ships. 
Currently, PortMiami welcomes approximately 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing about 15 percent of its overall passenger traffic. Once the new cruise terminal is completed, it is anticipated that Royal Caribbean will generate at least 1.8 million travelers at PortMiami – representing no less than 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns and operates three global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. RCL is a 50 percent joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises, and have a 49 percent interest in the Spanish brand Pullmantur and a minority interest in SkySea Cruises. Together, these brands operate a combined total of 49 ships with an additional thirteen on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 535 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.rclcorporate.com. 

PortMiami is among America's busiest ports and recognized across the globe as the Cruise Capital of the World and Global Gateway. PortMiami contributes more than $27 billion annually to the South Florida economy and helps generate 207,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs. For more information please visit www.portmiami.biz. 

Royal Caribbean Announces Agreement To Build World-Class Cruise Terminal At PortMiami

Cruise Line Plans to Sail an Oasis-Class Ship Out of the State-Of-The-Art Terminal

 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) has announced an agreement with Miami-Dade County to construct and operate a dramatic new cruise terminal at PortMiami, on land leased from the County. The new terminal will be a striking addition to PortMiami, and will serve as homeport to Royal Caribbean International ships, including a 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ship, the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ships. The agreement will come before the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners on July 6, 2016.                                                                                                              

“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 Ltd. “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.”

“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. Royal Caribbean has been an important part of our world-class community for almost 50 years, and this expansion will once again make PortMiami Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the world. I thank them for their continued investment in and commitment to Miami-Dade.”

Broadway Malyan has been selected as the firm to design the new terminal, after a global competition was held between five of the world's leading architectural firms. The firm was selected because of their creative thinking and cutting-edge design.  
 
The 170,000-square-foot terminal is nicknamed the ‘Crown of Miami’ because of 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. 

The new terminal will not be the only addition for Royal Caribbean in the coming year. The company has committed to add a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters located at PortMiami. The Innovation Lab will continue to generate Royal Caribbean’s industry-leading, innovative vessels. 

Currently, PortMiami welcomes approximately 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing about 15 percent of its overall passenger traffic. 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 Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Pullmantur, Azamara Club Cruises and CDF Croisières de France, as well as TUI Cruises through a 50 percent joint venture. Together, these six brands operate a combined total of 47 ships with an additional twelve on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 490 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on, www.rclcorporate.com.  

Travelore Cruise News: Royal Caribbean Plans Huge New PortMiami Cruise Terminal

New Royal Caribbean terminal at PortMiami would be located at the northeast side of the facility, to the left of the berths pictured here (Photo: PortMiami)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is in talks with Miami-Dade County officials to build a $100m cruise terminal at PortMiami with a berth capable of handling ships up to 400 meters long—plenty ample for a 360-meter Oasis-class vessel.

'We can't park our biggest ships in Miami and, with a project like this, we could. So this opens lots of possibilities,' Royal Caribbean spokesman Rob Zeiger told Seatrade Cruise News.

According to county documents, the cruise operator would design, finance and build the new Cruise Terminal A on a 10-acre site at the northeastern end of the port, in an area that is partly now used for cargo operations.

The facility, to include a multi-tier parking garage with approximately 1,000 spaces, would become operational in the second half of 2018. 

PortMiami anticipates Royal Caribbean would invest well over $100m during the construction phase of the project and the port will invest several million dollars.

Zeiger could not confirm the $100m figure but said that would put the terminal among the company's most costly infrastructure investments. He added it's too early to talk about design details. The timeline, he acknowledged, is very short—the memorandum of understanding talks about a July 31, 2018 target completion date—but 'We think we can build this as fast as we can build a ship.'

Zeiger called the plans a vote of confidence for South Florida, adding that he doesn't anticipate any port to be a loser in a situation like this in view of the company's newbuild orderbook. Royal Caribbean has a 'really great relationship with Port Everglades,' which was 'able to execute for Oasis and Allure,' he noted, in building the $75m Terminal 18.

'It feels good when we can grow anywhere and make an economic impact. It feels especially good when it's in our hometown,' Zeiger added.

The ground lease would have an initial 20-year term, with Royal Caribbean holding an option to extend for up to four additional terms of 10 years each.

Base rent for the facility would be $9.5m a year, with a 1.5% increase compounded annually. In addition, the county would receive $5.50 per passenger move for every Royal Caribbean passenger in excess of 1.55m passenger moves each year at Cruise Terminal A.

Before 2009, PortMiami averaged more than 1.6m Royal Caribbean passengers annually. Subsequently Miami lost a majority of the cruise giant's business when the new Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas began operating year-round at Port Everglades.

At the time, Miami didn't have facilities capable of accommodating these ships nor did it have suitable expansion plans.

PortMiami currently handles about 730,000 Royal Caribbean passengers a year, about 15% of the port's overall passenger traffic. The cruise operator's contractual guarantee to the county is only 325,000 passengers a year for the preferential use of Cruise Terminal G, at the northwestern end of the port.

Under the PortMiami 2035 Master Plan, adopted in late 2010, eight cruise berths are envisioned along the north channel—six existing berths, plus two new berths. The new berths, called Cruise Terminal A and Cruise Terminal AA, would be the last possible facilities on the port's north side.

According to county documents, the master plan is to incorporate requirements and logistical flows for Cruise Terminal AA to ensure it and Cruise Terminal A are 'separate but compatible.'

Additional matters to be negotiated include a possible option for Royal Caribbean to construct and potentially use and operate Cruise Terminal AA. Discussions about amending the cruise operator's Terminal G terms and additional extension options for the Royal Caribbean corporate offices at the port would be negotiated, too.

County commissioners are to consider a memorandum of understanding with Royal Caribbean for the new cruise terminal at a commission meeting on Sept. 16.

Source: 

Seatrade Cruise News

@SeatradeInsider

Sir Richard Branson Raises Virgin Cruises Flag In Miami

Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Cruises President & CEO Tom McAlpin raise flag in Miami

Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, announced today that Virgin Cruises has selected PortMiami as the home port for its first cruise ship that will set sail in 2020. He also revealed Virgin Cruises has signed a binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri for three new mid-size ships.

Emerging through a cloud of iconic Virgin red smoke, Richard flew across Miami's Biscayne Bay via helicopter landing at Museum Park. Joined by Virgin Cruises' President and CEO Tom McAlpin, the two raised a Virgin Cruises flag to mark the cruise line's official arrival in Miami.

"This is a very exciting day for Virgin and travelers around the globe," said Richard. "We now have the right partners in place to build a world-class cruise line that will redefine the cruising experience for good. The Virgin Cruises approach will appeal to cruisers and non-cruisers alike, and we look forward to being in Miami and delivering an experience for people who want a new way to cruise."

Virgin Cruises' three new mid-size ships, of about 110,000 gross tons each, are slated for delivery in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Each ship will feature 1,430 guest cabins to host more than 2,800 guests. There also will be 1,150 crew on board to deliver the famed Virgin customer service. Embarking from PortMiami, Virgin Cruises plans to offer a range of seven-day Caribbean itineraries, with a Sunday sail date.
Virgin Cruises' binding LOI with Fincantieri is the first part of a two-step process with both companies committed to signing a contract in Q4 of 2015. The PortMiami agreement will be presented to the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners for their consideration and approval on June 30, 2015.

"Virgin is a customer built brand that listens carefully to what customers want and then works hard to deliver for them. We are committed to making waves in the cruise industry, and partnering with Fincantieri and PortMiami sets Virgin Cruises up to do just that," said Tom. "Today's announcement brings together important ingredients in our future success -- Miami's vibrant culture paired with the excellent Port infrastructure and Port team; and Fincantieri's expertise in prototyping, their creativity and understanding of our vision."

Virgin Group announced the formation of Virgin Cruises in a venture with Bain Capital, one of the world's leading private investment firms, in December 2014. Ryan Cotton, a Managing Director of Bain Capital, and Virgin Cruises board member said: "As lead shareholder, Bain Capital is excited to contribute our deep experience in building and growing great consumer brand companies. We believe there is a large, underserved market and strong growth prospects for a cruise line that delivers a superior experience for young-at-heart customers. We're very pleased to be partnering with the other important shareholders who share the same long term vision, and together we will provide a strong and broad support base for Virgin Cruises."

Virgin expects the experts at Fincantieri to bring these ideas to life. Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, stated: "I am honored our company is the selected partner for Virgin Cruises for such an important development in the cruise industry. I'm convinced this choice will contribute to the expansion of the cruising audience, especially considering the market segment still has wide growth margins. I am sure that together, our teams will create cutting edge ships that deliver a memorable guest experience."

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez noted, "With the largest cruise port in the world, Miami is an exciting city that offers companies and brands an excellent environment for business. We are delighted to be selected by Virgin Cruises as their home port and I can't wait to see their beautiful ships become part of Miami's spectacular skyline."