The demolition and reconstruction plan for Royal Caribbean’s aging cruise terminal in Miami

The transformation of PortMiami’s Cruise Terminal G is gradually moving forward. Miami-Dade County has now requested proposals for the design and construction of a rebuilt Terminal G.

Royal Caribbean Group (RCL) inked a development and lease agreement for the terminal, which was approved in 2022.

A Terminal to Easily Accommodate the Largest Ships

The terminal was last updated a decade ago. Miami-Dade is footing the bill and has set a number of design stipulations for the winning bid. Firstly, it should be able to accommodate the cruise line’s larger Icon-class ships. 

Sustainability is a key consideration, too. The authority requires LEED Silver standard or above for the building construction and Envision-certified work for the related infrastructure. The cruise line has also agreed to adopt shore power.

Miami-Dade’s requirements call for a modern terminal with expanded bag screening capabilities, convenient passenger drop-off areas, and a parking garage complex. This will see the existing terminal demolished and rebuilt as a multi-story structure. The current access road infrastructure will be adapted to handle increased passenger capacity.

Royal Caribbean will Double Capacity at New Terminal

As part of the deal, Royal Caribbean Group has agreed to more than double annual cruise passenger traffic when Terminal G is completed, to 1.5 million passenger movements. The new terminal construction has an expected completion date of 2027.

PortMiami projects the upcoming cruise terminal usage agreements with Royal Caribbean and other operators like MSC Cruises will drive annual cruise passenger numbers to more than 10 million by 2031. In the last fiscal year through September 2023, it welcomed nearly 7.3 million passengers.

Since the pandemic, PortMiami has opened three new and revamped terminals: NCL’s Terminal B, Carnival Terminal F, and Virgin Voyages’ Cruise Terminal V.