Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 3 Project Moving Ahead

On January 8, the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners approved awarding Merritt Island-based Ivey’s Construction a USD 78.98 million contract for the cruise terminal project and a USD 29.53 million contract for the adjacent 1,800-vehicle parking garage.

Ivey’s was the low bidder to build a two-story, 188,000-square-foot terminal as part of the port’s largest single construction project in its 65-year history – a USD 163 million complex that will become the homeport for Carnival Cruise Line’s biggest and largest cruise ship, the Mardi Gras, when finished in May 2020.

“We’re creating a world-class cruise terminal, and with these contract awards, the project is mobilizing and moving ahead,” Captain John Murray, Canaveral Port CEO, said.

“We are confident that this state-of-the-art facility will be constructed on schedule and on budget,” he added.

A five-member Port Canaveral selection committee favored Ivey’s for the cruise terminal project over a partnership of H.J. High Construction of Orlando and Suffolk Construction of West Palm Beach, which bid USD 83 million.

Canaveral Port has taken several measures to ensure minimal impact to surrounding recreation areas during the construction period, including the installation of a seismic monitoring system in the surrounding area during the pile-driving process.

In December, port commissioners approved issuing up to USD 117 million in bonds to finance the cruise terminal project. Miami-based Carnival also will provide USD 50 million in as part of a long-term agreement between the port authority and the cruise line that began in September. Additionally, the port will receive USD 6 million in grants from the Florida Department of Transportation for project infrastructure work.

CT-3 will welcome the 180,000-ton “XL-class” Mardi Gras, currently under construction in Finland. With a maximum capacity of 6,500 passengers and about 2,000 crew members, the Mardi Gras will be the first North American-based cruise ship powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) when it goes into service in fall 2020.

Press Releases: Carnival Cruise Line

Photo Courtesy: Carnival Cruise Line