Dec. 2 (UPI) — For the second time in its history, Port Canaveral has become the world’s busiest cruise port, pushing out PortMiami.
The port’s figures show that Port Canaveral recorded 8.6 million multi-day passenger movements in the 2025 fiscal year. This officially surpasses PortMiami’s previous record. PortMiami held the title with 8.23 million travelers in 2024. The port has seen a 13% year-over-year increase in ship calls, according to its latest report.
PortMiami saw a record 8,564,225 cruise passengers get on or off a ship from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025. Port Canaveral had a record 8,602,047 passenger movements.
Canaveral was on top last in 2022.
“We’ve got two great seaports in Florida, and we’re competitive with the number of passengers that are moving through our ports, and we’re very excited to be on par with Miami and Port Everglades isn’t far behind,” Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray said Tuesday, the Orlando Sentinel reported. “It’s a great testament to cruising and what we do in the great state of Florida.”
Canaveral has six cruise terminals, but in 2025 it welcomed more and larger ships that dock there. The world’s largest ship, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, arrived in August, the Sentinel said. It also brought in Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises for the first time last winter.
In November, Murray cited Space Coast Office of Tourism numbers, saying that 27% of cruise passengers spend at least one night in a local hotel, which has led to an annual total of 2.3 million hotel stays.
“All of these things are indirectly fueling our local economy,” he said. “It’s a great thing to have the passengers coming through and spending their money.”
PortMiami’s cargo numbers hit a record high 1,115,058 twenty-foot equivalent units (a standard cargo measure) in 2025.
“PortMiami’s dual achievements highlight its dynamic role as both a cruise and cargo powerhouse, contributing billions to the local economy while advancing a future-ready vision of innovation, resiliency and global connectivity,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said, SeatradeCruiseNews reported. “Through strategic investments in infrastructure and technology, the port is enhancing its operational efficiency and ensuring long-term competitiveness.”
