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Port Canaveral broke ground on the largest terminal project in its history, a futuristic-looking, 187,000-square-foot space for Carnival Cruise Line. The terminal will be home for the 5,400-passenger Mardi Gras in 2020.
Budgeted at $163 million, the terminal will be called “The Launch Pad,” its design inspired by the nearby Kennedy Space Center.
Formally designated Cruise Terminal 3, its entry will feature an oversized 3 mounted on a scaffolding of steel beams. The 3 uses a font often associated with space travel.
The terminal will feature a high-tech baggage-processing facility and a modern check-in and security area on its second floor, with kiosks and seating for 1,700 guests. The six-story, 692,000- square-foot parking garage will have space for 1,800 vehicles.
To accommodate the 180,000-gross-ton Mardi Gras, Carnival’s largest ship, the port is removing existing pier structures at the site and building a new 1,309-foot-long berth.
The terminal is scheduled for completion in May 2020 and will be ready for the arrival of Mardi Gras in October.
The 5,400-passenger ship will be the first in North America to be powered by liquid natural gas rather than fuel oil. It is scheduled to sail year-round in the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.
“The Launch Pad” is one of a few deluxe terminals being readied in Florida for cruise passengers, including the recently opened “Crown of Miami” for Royal Caribbean International in Miami and the T25 building at Port Everglades, both the most expensive terminals at those ports to date.
Source: travelweekly.com
