Will PortMiami finally land one of the world’s largest cruise ships?
A deal in the works between Miami-Dade County and Royal Caribbean Cruises appears to be smoothing the way.
The cruise operator, which has headquarters at PortMiami, plans to finance, design, build and operate a new cruise terminal in the northeast section of the port, according to county officials. A preliminary vote before the Miami-Dade County Commission is set for Wednesday.
The agreement would last for no less than 20 years and no more than 60 — “an extraordinarily long period of time,” said deputy port director Kevin Lynskey.
Lynskey said the berth will be 400 meters long — which could fit “an Oasis and then some.” He was referring to the Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas and its sister ships, which are the largest cruise vessels in the world. The third and fourth ships in the class will be delivered in 2016 and 2018.
The deal doesn’t specify which ships would come to the port, but both PortMiami and Royal Caribbean have expressed interest in having one of the megaships based in Miami. For now, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas are based most of the year at Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, though the current commitment expires in 2018.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article34621548.html#storylink=cpy
Source: Royal Caribbean Cruises planning expansion at PortMiami | Miami Herald
