Thread: Port Canaveral enjoys 'a big day'

Port Canaveral enjoys 'a big day'

Cruise ship Freedom of the Seas will will stay through 2015; garage, retail project moves forward











Renderings depict the new parking garage and retail area planned for Port Canaveral. / Courtesy of Port Canaveral/Ivey's Construction Co.


Written by

DAVE BERMAN

FLORIDA TODAY













Port Canaveral has reached a deal with Royal Caribbean Cruises, under which the cruise line will continue to base the Freedom of the Seas at Brevard County's seaport through 2015.
The port is also moving ahead with plans to build a 750-vehicle parking garage that is expected to serve passengers of Carnival Cruise Lines and other ships. It will be the first parking garage at the port to also include retail shops.
"It has been a big day for us," Canaveral Port Authority Chief Executive Officer J. Stanley Payne said after the meeting ended.
The 4,000-passenger Freedom of the Seas, one of the port's largest cruise ships, sails seven-night cruises to the Caribbean. Under the deal unanimously approved Wednesday by the Canaveral Port Authority board, Royal Caribbean will base Freedom of the Seas -- or another ship that size or larger -- at Port Canaveral through the end of 2015.
"I think that's a vote of confidence for the port," Payne said.
Royal Caribbean also agreed to keep its 2,500-passenger Monarch of the Seas based at Port Canaveral -- which sails three- and four-night cruises to the Bahamas -- until at least April 24.
Payne said Royal Caribbean is leaving its options open after that, including keeping Monarch at Port Canaveral; bringing a different ship here to replace Monarch; or pulling Monarch out and sailing only Freedom of the Seas from Port Canaveral.
Payne said he expects Royal Caribbean will let port officials know this fall what its long-term intent for the Monarch slot.
The new three-story parking garage serving Cruise Terminal 5 and the under-construction Cruise Terminal 6 will be built by a team led by Rockledge-based Ivey's Construction Inc. Those terminals are expected to serve Carnival's Dream, Ecstasy and Sensation
Payne said plans call for that parking garage to have 19,000 square feet of shops on the first level, potentially including a restaurant, a gift shop, an Internet café and a rental car outlet, as well as a lounge area for cruise ship crews.
The project would cost between an estimated $8.4 million and $8.7 million.
Port officials recommend the Ivey's team from among three finalists based on an analysis of a number of factors, including price, design and how extensive the candidate would use local employees in the project.
Contact Berman at 321-360-1016 or dberman@floridatoday.com.

Great news for Port Canaveral. Thanks for sharing the good news. The more regional cruise ports supported in the US, the better. It just means more passengers can drive to their cruise and avoid the high costs and hassles of airlines and airports. Hopefully, this also helps to convince those who have never taken a cruise vacation before to take the plunge.

Thanks again for sharing.