It’s not even October and PortMiami has already blown past its own annual record for the number of cruise passengers to walk through its doors in a single year.
Today, the South Florida port proudly announced a milestone of processing its 10 millionth cruise passenger for Fiscal Year 2026.
The 10 million mark was actually reached on September 14, 2026, with roughly two weeks still remaining before the end of the port’s fiscal year on September 30.
“10 MILLION PASSENGERS AND COUNTING!” PortMiami posted on social media, adding:
“This marks the highest annual passenger volume in PortMiami’s history and further solidifies the port’s position as the Cruise Capital of the World ®.”
The previous record for the port was 8,564,225 passengers in a single fiscal year.
That earlier total itself represented a 4% jump over the year before. Hitting 10 million with this much time still left shows just how strong demand has been this season.
PortMiami has welcomed some of the industry’s biggest ships from major cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Sea, MSC World America, and Carnival Celebration.
These three ships alone can accommodate over 16,000 passengers on a sailing at double capacity.
On a rare 10-ship day, the port can handle over 75,000 passengers moving off and onto ships in a single 12-hour window.
🎉10 MILLION PASSENGERS AND COUNTING! 🚢
PortMiami is celebrating another incredible milestone – on September 14, 2026, PortMiami welcomed its 10 millionth cruise passenger!
This marks the highest annual passenger volume in PortMiami’s history and further solidifies the port’s… pic.twitter.com/xelOSLv6Vj
— PortMiami (@PortMiami) September 21, 2026
New Terminals
New and expanded terminals have helped the port keep up too. MSC Cruises’ Terminal AA, which opened in 2025, is the world’s largest cruise terminal by size. The 492,000-square-foot facility can process up to 36,000 passengers a day and berth three full-sized ships at once.
While Royal Caribbean currently operates Icon of the Seas out of its newly built flagship Terminal A, the port is already getting ready for more massive ships.
Construction is underway on a new Terminal G for Royal Caribbean Group, designed to handle large Icon-class ships as well.
PortMiami’s Impact on Local Economy
PortMiami contributes more than $61 billion annually to the local and state economy and supports over 340,000 jobs. Many of those cruisers also spend extra time in Greater Miami and Miami Beach before or after their cruises, helping hotels, restaurants, and all the other local attractions.
The port is not slowing down any time soon. More ships are coming, more terminals are being built, and hopefully the traffic issue will be able to be solved as well as the city looks at better options to improve flow.
After all, with up to 10 cruise ships using the port in one day, managing traffic flow is a huge undertaking.
Miami Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava mentioned the local economy in a statement about the milestone:
“Breaking the 10 million passenger threshold is a testament to PortMiami’s unwavering dedication to service, sustainability and economic vitality. This extraordinary milestone underscores our port’s role as a global gateway and a driver of job creation, tourism and local business growth.”
Looking for the Best Cruise Deals?
Search Multiple Sites at Once
Instant Real Time Pricing
Search Now
