Carnival Cruise Line and PortMiami have held a ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of the state-of-the-art Terminal F.
The facility will eventually serve as the homeport of Carnival Celebration, the next Excel-class ship from the line.
Currently under construction in Finland, the ship is set to debut next year.
Miami-Dade mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, and Carnival president, Christine Duffy, along with county commissioners and construction partners, used ceremonial shovels to officially mark the beginning of construction on the expansive 471,000-square-foot facility.
It will become Carnival’s third terminal at the port and its largest in South Florida.
“I’m grateful to Carnival Cruise Line and Lemartec for their partnership with Miami-Dade County,” said Cava.
“Despite the global pandemic, this ground-breaking is another example of the growth happening at PortMiami – the cruise capital of the world – and how together, we can and we will continue to thrive.”
The terminal’s clean and open design by will allow for exceptional efficiency and flexibility to accommodate Carnival’s newest class of ships, maximizing use of technology to move guests through the embarkation process, providing a seamless boarding experience.
“We are proud of Carnival’s role in making Miami the cruise capital of the world, and today marks the continuation of an incredible 50-year partnership with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County.
“This expanded terminal built specifically for Carnival Celebration will make an incredible addition to the existing facilities at our largest embarkation port,” said Duffy.