PortMiami crossed a milestone it has never reached before: on September 14, 2026, the South Florida port welcomed its 10 millionth cruise passenger of the fiscal year, shattering its own previous record. What makes the number even more striking is that the fiscal year doesn't close until September 30, meaning the final tally could climb higher still.
To put the leap in perspective, PortMiami welcomed 8,564,225 passengers in fiscal year 2025 — itself a record at the time. The new figure already surpasses that mark by more than 1.4 million passengers, a nearly 17% jump in a single year. The port contributes roughly $61 billion annually to the local economy and supports more than 340,000 jobs in the region.
The growth is being driven in part by a new generation of mega-ships calling Miami home — vessels like Icon of the Seas, Carnival Celebration, and MSC World America — along with significant infrastructure investment. MSC Cruises opened the world's largest cruise terminal, the 492,678-square-foot Terminal AA, in Miami in March 2025, capable of handling up to 36,000 passengers per day across three ships. Royal Caribbean Group has also broken ground on a $345 million Terminal G, a single-berth facility designed for Icon Class ships, with completion estimated for late 2027.
Looking further ahead, Royal Caribbean's newest Icon Class ship, Hero of the Seas, is set to homeport in Miami when she enters service in August 2027. Measuring around 248,600 gross tons with a double-occupancy capacity of 5,654 passengers, she'll primarily offer seven-night Caribbean itineraries from the port.
This story was originally reported by Royal Caribbean Blog.
