“Terminal 25’s renovation for the Celebrity Edge looks really nice. It’s the finishes and the design that uplifts the passenger experience,” said Steve Cernak, port director and CEO at Port Everglades, just days before the official opening of Celebrity’s new state-of-the-art cruise terminal.
“There are different elements that meet Celebrity’s specifications, with more lounges. It is designed to be integrated with the Edge class of ships, and to be part of the experience as you are embarking on the cruise.”
Technology is a major part of the new Terminal 25, and in the same general piece of land, the port offers the world’s only Ocean Medallion (Carnival’s technology platform) equipped cruise terminal, serving the Caribbean Princess.
“We’re the only ones to have the prototype terminal,” Cernak said, in an interview with Cruise Industry News.
The Caribbean Princess will be back in that prototype terminal next summer, also joined by an uptick in summer business featuring the Carnival Magic, Majesty of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.
Just two miles away from the port, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport continues to build up domestic and international capacity
The slate of advanced terminals at Port Everglades also shows off a new trend in the industry as cruise lines and ports take a closer look at the embarkation experience, instead of just pushing passengers through a building as quickly as possible.
“They want customer satisfaction, and they want high ratings even going through the terminal. Yes, they want the passengers onboard quickly, but that doesn’t mean the terminal can’t be part of the experience,” Cernak said.
The port completed its Slip 2 extension in 2017, extending the berth by 225 feet. Also underway are a number of signage upgrade projects, Cernak said.
According to the port’s long-term master plan, the cruise industry’s continued growth means more berth space will be needed, with no signs of South Florida and the Caribbean slowing down.
And as ships get bigger, the port’s plan outlines a future with berths at least 1,200 feet in length, with a working apron between 60 and 70 feet wide. It also recommends adding three new cruise berths by 2027, and a fourth in the early 2030s, all to accommodate next-generation ships.
A changing deployment mix in South Florida should also see more five/five/four day cruise rotations, appealing to first time cruisers, the plan said, while also boosting passenger throughput.
