Port Canaveral officials on Wednesday began a process that could lead to major upgrades at two existing cruise terminals and help put the seaport on course to become the world’s busiest cruise hub.
The projects at Cruise Terminals 5 and 10 would cost $40 million to $47 million, according to Port Canaveral Chief Executive Officer John Walsh.
The upgrades would allow the terminals to handle larger cruise ships than they now do.
They also would provide the port with greater flexibility in scheduling cruise ships, as an increasing number of ships either are based at Port Canaveral or make port-of-call stops there. On two recent Sundays, for example, there have been six cruise ships at Port Canaveral at the same time.
Port Canaveral officials expect Brevard’s seaport to become the world’s busiest cruise port before the end of the decade. About 81 percent of the port’s revenue comes from cruise operations.
Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved the concept of doing the renovations, but will await more specific designs and cost estimates before voting on whether to start construction.
