MIAMI – The Port of Miami’s 2010-2011 cruise season opened with a record 346,513 cruise passengers transiting its facilities during the month of October, an increase of over 29% compared to October 2009.
“This was the best October ever for the Port of Miami,” said Port Director Bill Johnson. “We believe the record traffic is indicative of what will be a very strong 2010-2011 cruise season.”
Port officials attributed the strong showing to new ships including Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) Norwegian Epic, which arrived at the Port in July 2010, and is among the newest and largest ships in the Port of Miami’s fleet.
The new cruise season features three additional ships and more reasons than ever why cruising out of Miami is the best bet for travelers heading to the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico and other exciting destinations. Johnson predicted another strong year for cruise traffic following a world record year with 4.15 million cruise passengers traveling in and out of the Port of Miami over the last 12 months.
The new arrivals in the 2010-2011 line-up include:
November 2010 – The Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Cruises’ latest upscale and widely acclaimed Solstice-class vessel, arrived at the Port.
February 2011 – Oceania Cruises will deliver the Marina, the first new build for Oceania.
January 2011 – Costa Cruises will return to the Port of Miami when the Atlantica arrives to Miami.
“Cruising from the Port of Miami has never been more exciting,” said Port of Miami Director Bill Johnson. “Four new vessels over a seven month span positions the Port of Miami to deliver a strong season. We are looking forward to welcoming more than four million cruise passengers over the next year.”
