With Disney Cruise Line preparing to introduce three new ships in the years ahead, Port Canaveral is taking steps to hopefully accommodate an influx of guests coming through Disney’s terminal.
- As Florida Today reports, today port commissioners unanimously approved plans to conduct a study on how Terminal 8 at Port Canaveral could be upgraded.
- The study will also look at nearby Terminal 10, which Disney may need to use if they choose to have two ships at Port at the same time.
- Terminal 10 is currently used by Norwegian Cruise Line, and Disney would likely need to share the terminal if it chose to expand there.
- Disney Cruise Line has previously announced plans to introduce three new ships to their fleet, bringing their total to seven.
- New ships are scheduled to debut in 2021, 2022 and 2023 (one each year).
- Given the popularity of Port Canaveral and its relative proximity to Walt Disney World, Port Canaveral CEO John Murray is expecting that Disney will home-port one of the new ships in Canaveral.
- Murray told port commissioners that Disney’s long-term intention is to “add another full-time vessel to the port, home-ported, adding, “So we’ll have more activity than Terminal 8 can handle.”
- Disney’s current terminal has the oldest and smallest at Port Canaveral, with the last major update happening in 1998.
- The study looking at upgrades to Terminals 8 and 10 will be conducted by Bermello Ajamil & Partners Inc. and is expected to take two to three months to complete.
Artist renderings feature two of the new ships that will join the fleet (a third new ship was later announced)
What They’re Saying
- Bill Crowe, Port Canaveral senior director of facilities: “Disney is a great partner to work with. They’re a great partner for the port, and they do things ‘the Disney way,’ so we’re really excited to be a part of that.”