Posted on June 2, 2025
Port Canaveral is investing $500 million during the next five years to upgrade and enhance all aspects of its operations.
Unveiled May 1 and titled Port Canaveral Advantage, the comprehensive plan aims to improve the Port’s cruise, cargo and recreational facilities.
“Port Canaveral has been a driving force for the Central Florida economy for over seven decades, and the continued prosperity of our Port community depends on our continued success,” Port CEO Capt. John Murray said. “As we look ahead to the future, our challenge is balancing the business demands we have today while positioning ourselves for continued growth.”
Work is about to get underway on several cruise-related projects at the Port, currently ranked as the world’s second-busiest cruise port behind PortMiami. Cruise Terminal 5, on the Port’s north side, will undergo a 65 percent expansion to accommodate larger ships. Designed by Miami-based BEA Architects, the 16-month construction project should not disrupt terminal operations, according to Port officials.
Cruise Terminal 10’s capacity will be increased to accommodate larger cruise ships, with new berthing capacity to handle vessels up to 1,200 feet long that can carry up to 5,600 passengers. A feasibility study on the project is expected to be completed this month.
Exterior upgrades at Cruise Terminal 1 began in May. Improvements include new canopies and walkways, updated landscaping and new lighting to create a refreshed west entrance for arriving cruise guests. The terminal’s adjacent cruise parking garage will feature new paint, landscaping, perimeter fencing and gangway upgrades.
The Port also recently established a Cruise Automation Team to oversee the safe and efficient operation of passenger boarding bridges.
On the commercial cargo side, the Port plans to renovate existing pier structures on the south side to add multipurpose, multiuser berth space and improve vessel turn times.
Renovations to North Cargo Berths 3 and 4 are nearly finished and will add 1,800 linear feet of multipurpose bulkhead space.
Ongoing improvements include harbor deepening and berth box dredging to accommodate larger vessels, and seawall and uplands facility upgrades. A third mobile harbor crane also is set to arrive later this year.
The Port also is upgrading roadways to improve access to and from cargo terminals, ease roadway congestion and reduce truck wait times.
The Port’s popular Jetty Park beach and campground will get a new camp store, guest cabins and a dog park, renovated bathhouses, improved roads and lighting, refurbished playgrounds and redesigned public boat ramps at Rodney Ketchum Park.
New landscaping and entrance enhancements are planned for The Cove, the Port’s entertainment district.
The extensive upgrades come as the Port recorded its busiest month ever in March, handling 925,994 cruise passengers, a 16 percent increase over 2024. For the first six months in Fiscal Year 2025, the Port already handled 4.42 million passengers and generated $111.75 million in operating revenue. Port officials expect 8.4 million passengers for the full year, up from 7.6 million last year.
Rusty Fischer, who owned the old Space Race-era hotspot Bernard’s Surf in Cocoa Beach for more than 40 years and opened Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar at the Port in 1993, is looking forward to proposed improvements at The Cove.
“We do a lot for the Port,” Fischer said of restaurants and bars at The Cove. “The visitors who get on and off cruise ships come to our restaurants. And we’ve got rocket launches and the rocket boosters that they bring back that are right across from my restaurant. It’s kind of cool to have people sit here and say,
‘That was the booster that went up two days ago.’
“I think it’s a good marriage if we can keep it going like that.”
