Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has celebrated the ground-breaking of the new and dedicated Norwegian Cruise Line terminal at PortMiami.

The Miami-Dade County board of commissioners approved the project on April 10th, with construction beginning on May 1st.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is a leading global cruise company which operates Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.

Present at the ceremony, which took place at PortMiami’s Terminal B, were Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos Gimenez, and Miami-Dade County commissioner Rebeca Sosa.

Also on hand were PortMiami director and chief executive officer Juan Kuryla, Florida state representative Cynthia Stafford and leading executives from the architecture and construction firms on record, Bermello Ajamil & Partners and the NV2A-Haskell joint venture.

The state-of-the-art terminal is scheduled for completion by late 2019, as Norwegian Encore, the newest ship of the Breakaway Plus class, debuts in Miami with seasonal cruises to the Caribbean.

The new terminal is expected to be complete late next year

“This iconic terminal represents our continued partnership with Miami-Dade County, our commitment to excellence and Miami as a world capital,” said Del Rio.

“As a global cruise company we’re transforming and elevating guest experiences through design and innovation on our ships, and this new terminal at PortMiami is the next step in that journey.

“We are honoured to be here today alongside the team dedicated to making this dream a reality.”

At nearly 166,500 square feet, the Norwegian terminal will accommodate ships of up to 5,000 passengers and will feature state-of-the-art technology to support faster and more efficient embarkation and disembarkation, as well as expedited security screening and luggage check-in. 

A dedicated lounge and service area will offer a warm and welcoming arrival for guests, and a new parking garage and valet parking area with direct access to the terminal will streamline the entire arrival and departure process for more efficiency.