Royal Caribbean has announced that they will be building a new world class cruise terminal in the cruise capital of the world, PortMiami, that will be able to accommodate the largest cruise ships in the world, the Oasis class ships. This was first reported by the Miami Herald.
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. 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.
Before the deal is finalized, the Miami-Dade County Commission will vote on the deal that will bring the county $7.5 million in annual rent. The $247 million project will be financed by Royal Caribbean and the county will pay for surface and road work to connect the new terminal to the current cruise terminal in Miami.
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 dock at Terminal A will be 1,300 feet long and will be able to accommodate the Oasis class ships from the cruise line that are 1,200 feet long. The cruise line’s current dock (Terminal G) in PortMiami can only accommodate ships that are 1,000 feet long.
No announcement has been made about which Oasis class ship would homeport in Miami. When one of the world’s largest cruise ships moves to Miami, it would bring an additional 1 million passengers to the port each year. Royal Caribbean currently has 750,000 passengers a year pass through the port.
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.
Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Ltd, gave the following statement:
“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. 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.”
You won’t see me on any of those ships. Who cares how big the ships are? More importantly, why would you want to go on vacation and be forced to dress up for dinner every night, and eat at the same time every night, at the same table every night, with people you may not like, or care to eat dinner with, EVERY NIGHT ? What kind of vacation is that? Free Stylin’ baby !!!!!!!