Royal Caribbean to Build New Terminal at PortMiami

On Tuesday, Royal Caribbean announced that it has reached an agreement for the construction and operation of a new cruise terminal at PortMiami on land leased from Miami-Dade County. 

The terminal will be the home port to a 5,400 passenger Oasis-class cruise ship, the world's largest. “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,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean.

The county expects that the expansion will create 4,000 jobs and $500 million of economic activity. Royal Caribbean brings 750,000 passengers through Port Miami each year, a bit less than a fifth of its total passenger traffic - and the new terminal is expected to more than double that amount, to 1.8 million passengers a year. 

The 170,000 square foot "Crown of Miami" terminal, which will be designed by Broadway Malayan, will be shaped to present an aspect resembling an "M" for Miami, with points facing out like a crown. Ian Simpson, director at Broadway Malayan, says that the design was designed to "wow" but also to fulfil its function smoothly. “The terminal extends along the waterfront to maximize views of the ships when docked, and the sides of the building have been angled to reflect the water," he said. It is Singapore-based Broadway Malayan's first project in North America. If all approvals are granted, construction will begin early next year and finish towards the end of 2018.

Along with the terminal project, Royal Caribbean also plans a new 20,000 square foot lab for vessel design at its Miami headquarters.