Royal Caribbean Cruises reached an agreement with Miami-Dade County to construct and operate a new cruise terminal at PortMiami, on land leased from the county.
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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.
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 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.
The company is invested to spend about $20 million for design, construction, equipment, labor and other related expenses for the two-story building.
Currently, PortMiami welcomes approximately 750,000 Royal Caribbean passengers annually, representing about 15 percent of its overall passenger traffic.
Once the new cruise terminal is completed, it is anticipated that Royal Caribbean will generate at least 1.8 million passengers at PortMiami — representing no less than 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic. ■