PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – More people are sailing out of Central Florida’s cruise port than ever before.
After reporting 734,000 passengers in December, the port this week again announced record-breaking numbers for March at nearly 800,000 guests.
At that record pace, the port said it could outpace last year’s record numbers by a half-million by the end of this fiscal year in October.
The 16 months between 2020 and 2021 when no passengers departed because of the COVID-19 shutdown are distant memories now.
Capt. Murray said the industry now has a lot of plans for expansion, and new ships are being ordered again.
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“The industry is 110% of what it was prior to the pandemic,” the port’s CEO said. “We’re fortunate to be taking advantage of that here at the port.”
It’s fortunate if you ask port commissioners, but not everyone else is so excited.
Another opinion about the port’s growth can be found in the marina district.
In February, News 6 reporter James Sparvero interviewed fisherman Jamie Glasner after learning the port won’t renew the Cape Marina’s lease to build another cruise terminal.
In a few years, the new terminal could open around the same time the Brevard Zoo’s aquarium at the port is built.
“We’re concerned with having another cruise terminal and then the aquarium going in across the street - the congestion of the traffic over here on the south side of the port, and what it’s going to do to the already existing businesses,” Glasner said. “We just want to make sure that we still have a place that we can come to work.”
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