RCL Breaks Ground for New Terminal in Miami

Miami-based cruise line operator Royal Caribbean Cruises and PortMiami broke ground for a new RCL cruise terminal on March 8.

The cruise company said that the Terminal A, nicknamed the Crown of Miami, will be able to accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world, those of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis class.

Two of the giants, the Allure of the Seas and the newly announced Symphony of the Seas, currently under construction in France, as well as several other RCI ships will homeport at the new facility, which is scheduled to open in October 2018.

The new terminal and adjacent parking structure will cover 170,000 square feet on 10 acres in the northeast section of the port.

“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,” Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Mayor, said.

In keeping with RCL’s environmental priorities, Terminal A will be certified as a green building by the global Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program, RCL said.

Expected to generate some 1.8 million passengers, or at least 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic, the new facility will double RCL’s current passenger traffic in PortMiami.

The port welcomes some 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers each year for about 15 percent of its overall passenger traffic.