Port Canaveral reports surge in cruise passenger volumes

31 Oct 2011 - Cargo volumes and throughput, RoRo & Passengers

• Port Canaveral reports record cruise revenues for fiscal year ending September 30th

• Florida port handled over 3 million passengers during the year

For the first time in its history, more than 3 million multi-day cruise passengers sailed from Port Canaveral, contributing US$40 million in cruise revenue during the fiscal year ending September 30.

Cruise traffic at the Florida port rose by just over 16 percent to over 3 million passengers.

Overall, Port Canaveral’s total revenues surged dramatically to nearly $57.8 million, eclipsing the previous port record of $51.2 million in 2006 by 13 percent.

“We emerged from dismal economic times financially strong and focused on the future, fully accepting our role and responsibility as one of the primary economic engines for the Space Coast,” said Port Canaveral CEO, J. Stanley Payne.

“With a pipeline full of infrastructure projects, a strong balance sheet, a business strategy focusing on our strengths, we want this to be just the first in a string of record years,” added Payne.

Focusing on cruise, Payne continued, “We began this year welcoming the new Disney Dream and we’ll end this year with Carnival’s expanded presence and the addition of the Carnival Ecstasy in November. The momentum will continue into 2012 with new ship arrivals and the opening of new Port facilities.”

 

Staff Writer: Linton Nightingale