Carnival Cruise Line said it has received approval from the Miami-Date County Commission for the renovation of Cruise Terminal F at PortMiami to accommodate its LNG-powered Excel-class newbuild.
The yet-to-be-named vessel, sister ship to the LNG-powered Mardi Gras, upon its delivery in 2022 will be based at the upgraded terminal.
“With today’s approval, we will move quickly on a plan to remodel and expand Terminal F so that it will accommodate the most innovative class of ship to join our fleet,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
The redesigned Terminal F will allow Carnival to continue to be the leader in the market, accommodating not only its largest and newest class of ship, but also allowing the line to bring its next LNG ship to south Florida.
Mardi Gras, the first Carnival Excel class ship for the line, will be delivered in August 2020 and be homeported at Port Canaveral after inaugural sailings from Europe and New York.
When completed, Terminal F will be the third cruise terminal at PortMiami dedicated to Carnival operations. The agreement includes a commitment by Carnival to keep ships at Terminal F for 20 years, with the option of two additional seven-year extensions.
All renovations are set for completion by October 2022 to welcome the Carnival Excel class ship arriving in late 2022.