Waypoint+ A Port Canaveral Newsletter
2024
Vol. 4 Issue 2
Vol. 4 Issue 1
2023
Vol. 3 Issue 5
Vol. 3 Issue 4
Vol. 3 Issue 3
Vol. 3 Issue 2
Vol. 3 Issue 1
2022
Vol. 2 Issue 5
Vol. 2 Issue 4
Vol. 2 Issue 3
Vol. 2 Issue 2
Vol. 2 Issue 1
Vol. 1 Issue 8
2021
Vol. 1 Issue 7: October/November 2021
Vol. 1 Issue 6: August/September 2021
Vol. 1 Issue 5: June/July 2021
Vol. 1 Issue 4: May 2021
Vol. 1 Issue 3: April 2021
Vol. 1 Issue 2: February/March 2021
Vol. 1 Issue 1: January 2021
2020
November/December 2020
September/October 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
April 2020
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Waypoint+ Stories
Progress is well underway on the construction of two new parking garage additions at Port Canaveral. As the demand for travel surges and the port welcomes newer, larger cruise ships, the need for additional parking infrastructure has become increasingly evident.
The CPA currently has a hybrid system of storing documents. Older documents, both historical and non-historical, are stored in hard copy format in the MARC or Maritime Archives and Records Center, located on the second floor of the Procurement building. Most new documents, as they are created, are kept in Microsoft SharePoint/365 which can also be accessed through Teams. Documents are also kept in PowerDMS, which is also a cloud based system. Cloud based documents are accessible in a much easier way than hard copies. Moving forward, the department of archives, history and records will begin working more closely with all departments, transitioning most of our current records to a digital format.
Our Port hosted a heartwarming celebration of life after the CPA Board of Commissioners June meeting when friends, family, and members of our Port community joined us to pay tribute to the late Capt. Ed Lanni, a truly remarkable individual who left an indelible mark on our Port and beyond.
Meet Kristen Larsen, an avid camper who finds pure joy at our Jetty Park Campground, a cherished family tradition passed down from her father. She creates lasting memories with her daughters, adding her creative touch to each visit, leaving behind a trail of happiness in this special place.
Continuing our topic on records and information management from last month. The CPA creates many documents every day and by law must maintain these documents to record and ensure the operation of the authority as well as keeping the public informed of the decisions we make and to ensure we have an accurate record of our history.
Port Canaveral was honored to be the host port for the 2022 Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Platinum Members Cruise. This year, the event was held aboard the MSC Divina which sailed a four-night itinerary from Port Canaveral from September 11-15th. This annual members’ event brings together cruise line executives, as well as representatives from various cruise ports throughout the U.S. and Caribbean.
Work on the massive $48 million project to rebuild Port Canaveral’s North Cargo Berth 3 (NCB3) is well underway. Demolition of the functionally obsolete over-water pier began last December. The project will build an 880-foot-long multi-purpose wharf to accommodate larger vessels at berth without impeding navigation of the Federal channel to ensure safe harbor transit.
On May 22nd, our country observed National Maritime Day. The United States has always been and will always be a great maritime nation. From our origins as 13 British colonies, through every period of peace and conflict since, the Merchant Marine has been a pillar in this country’s foundation of prosperity and security. They power the world’s largest economy and strengthen our ties with trading partners around the world, all while supporting our military forces by shipping troops and supplies wherever they need to go.
We have a magical month ahead of us at Port Canaveral as Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship is expected to arrive in Port. The Disney Wish is expected to make her inaugural arrival into her new homeport on Monday, June 20th. This vessel promises an all-new enchanted on-board experience where fan favorite Disney stories come to life.
The capital projects here at Port Canaveral are well underway as we enter 2022 - including enhancements to Cruise Terminal 8, Cruise Terminal 5 and North Cargo Berth 3. Our engineering team and their project partners are busy at work envisioning and constructing the future!
The cruise industry is “coming back and coming back strongly” stated Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray at the January meeting of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners. Through November 2021, Port Canaveral had 121 ship calls with over 458,000 multi-day passengers. And the outlook for 2022 looks bright.
In early October, Port Canaveral welcomed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 5 Secretary Jared Purdue and staff members of the district design and development team for a site visit, an important step in conducting a Project Development and Environment (PD&E) Study to evaluate the improvement to the State Road (S.R.) 401 bridge.
As the world’s second busiest cruise port, approximately eighty percent of our revenue comes from cruise operations. For seventeen months, the pause in cruising had a devastating effect on our Port. For sixteen of those months, our budget had been operating in the red.With good financial stewardship, smart business decisions, and the well awaited return of revenue cruising, we are now “back in black"!
Port Canaveral’s cargo business is booming, with record numbers of cargo for fiscal year 2021. At the September meeting of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners, Port CEO, Capt. John Murray reported a “very, very robust year in the cargo sector,” with 489 cargo ship calls this year. Cargo revenue totaled over $11 million dollars, topping previous year records.
Carnival Cruise Line christened the Mardi Gras while docked at Port Canaveral with a “Universe of Fun” celebration and the first ship naming ceremony held in the U.S. since the cruise industry’s restart this summer.
The Summer of 2021 proved to be a busy season for the staff at Port Canaveral’s Jetty Park. As the summer sun burned bright, campers and beachgoers alike flocked to Jetty Park to partake in a wide array of recreational activities this summer. With the park averaging a 90% occupancy rate over the summer months, we are reminded how desirable of a destination Jetty Park truly is.
Make way for larger cruise ships in Port Canaveral! The goal of the mooring improvement project is to add length to welcome larger cruise vessels at Cruise Terminal 5.
Once again, Port Canaveral is partnering with Toys for Tots and the Marine Corps Reserve to brighten the holidays for Brevard County kids. Santa’s CPA Workshop is opening early because toy wishes may be really hard to fulfill this year, due to supply demands.
On August 23rd the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for the prevention of the virus in individuals 16 years of age and older.
Cargo had a record month in May with the best revenue month and cargo volume through Port Canaveral in the past ten years! Cargo revenue totaled $7.5 million and tonnage weighed in a 3.4 million tons. This record month was being driven by the space industry, increase in lumber and renewed demand for oil.
On June 4th Port Canaveral was privileged to simultaneously host two of the newest world class cruise ships. We welcomed Carnival Cruise Line’s Mardi Gras for its inaugural homecoming. Mardi Gras is the first LNG fueled cruise ship in North America and will be homeported right here at Cruise Terminal 3. The ship is named after Carnival’s first ship in 1972, the TSS Mardi Gras. This new vessel resembles the 1972 ship only in name as this new cruise ship is the first of Carnival’s Excel Class ships. It is also the first cruise ship to feature a roller coaster at sea – named BOLT. Her inaugural sailing is scheduled from Port Canaveral on Saturday, July 31st.
It’s that time of year again! Sea turtle nesting season is upon us. The season for the Atlantic coast of Florida began March 1st.
SpaceX’s Crew-2 Falcon 9, the second operational crewed mission to the International Space Station, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 23, carrying four astronauts safety to the International Space Station.
Canaveral Port Authority’s own superstar, Bobby “G” Giangrisostomi, Vice President of Cruise Business Development, made the decision to step down from his position and retire effective May 3rd.
On Monday May 10th Port Canaveral hosted a COVID-19 vaccine drive up clinic in the parking garage at Cruise Terminal 1. In partnership with Parrish Medical and Canaveral Fire Rescue 58 Moderna vaccines were administered to the public with an additional 20 vaccines for the crew of a cargo vessel. This was designed to be a quick and easy drive-up option for members of the public and those specifically working in sectors related to the cruise and maritime industry.
Port Canaveral employees and their families received their first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine recently.
Springtime in Florida brings a plethora of nesting birds to our beaches and shorelines. These are a few of the protected birds you may find nesting along our Atlantic beaches and dunes - black skimmers, least terns, American oystercatchers, and various types of plovers.
Cruise Terminal 3 (CT3) has yet to host its first cruise passenger, and it’s already receiving accolades.
Construction of the Cruise Terminal 8 (CT8) facility and berth is nearing completion with the delivery of a new passenger boarding bridge, constructed by Adlete in Barcelona, Spain.
Each year from December through March a remarkable event takes place. North Atlantic right whales migrate to the warm, calm coastal waters of the southeast Atlantic coast to give birth and nurse their calves. In the spring, they head back north to feeding grounds in the Bay of Fundy between Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Port Canaveral public safety leaders, Barry Compagnoni and Cory Dibble, recently participated in a Q-LNG/ Port Canaveral Tabletop Exercise on February 3rd and 4th. The exercise included various LNG industry partners: Q-LNG, Shell, Carnival Cruise, Port Canaveral and various first responders, such as Canaveral Fire Rescue, USCG, and BCSO.
As of March 2nd, the Florida Legislature has convened for the 2021 regular legislative session and will last for sixty days. Port Canaveral has set forth legislative priorities that outline a pathway for effecting meaningful policy changes and securing strategic appropriations initiatives that align with the Port’s mission.
From its Cape Canaveral location just south of the Kennedy Space Center and the launch complexes operated by NASA and the U.S. Air Force, Port Canaveral has played a long and historic role in the development and growth of the space industry in Florida.
Port Canaveral’s mobile harbor crane, a Liebherr LHM 600, is celebrating her two-year anniversary! The 270-foot-tall shore-to-shore crane, which is the largest mobile harbor crane in the United States, came aboard in January 2019.
This past month, six Port Canaveral employees participated in a four-hour online COVID-19 awareness training through Nova Southeastern University.
On February 11th the Orlando Business Journal hosted a virtual event called the “2021 Business of Transportation” in which Capt. John W. Murray was one of several featured panelists.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set January 29, 2021 as the effective date of new Canaveral Port Authority Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM's) shall become effective.
Many of our Port employees dedicate their time outside of working hours volunteering and giving back to the local community. This month we would like to recognize Jennifer Simmons of the Cargo Business Development team for her dedication to animal rescue.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Kevin Thibault and Assistant Secretary for Strategic Development Brad Thoburn visited the Port recently and were briefed by Port CEO Capt. John Murray and staff on current Port operations. After the briefing, a tour was provided of the redevelopment project at Cruise Terminal 8.
Port Canaveral’s mobile harbor crane is approaching its two year anniversary and making big moves! The 270-foot-tall Liebherr LHM 600 mobile harbor crane is the largest of its kind in the US, and operating primarily at North Cargo Berth 5. To meet the needs of growing and diverse cargo throughput, the mobile crane will soon be able to transit from its current position at berth 5 to North Cargo Berth 6, then onto 8.
On January 7th the Brevard Legislative Delegation met for their annual public meeting ahead of Florida’s regular legislative session. The meeting was a virtual event where public comments were made by local government representatives and members of the public.
Port Canaveral’s real estate business remained steady during FY 2020 despite the economic challenges posed by the global pandemic. Last year, revenues from real estate accounted for approximately 8 percent of the Port’s total earnings.
Workforce members from all sectors of the cruise line industry came together at the Port’s Cruise Terminal 1 recently to have their voices heard. Rallies just like this one occurred simultaneously at other cruise seaports around Florida and Galveston, Texas.
A message from Port Canaveral's Port Director and CEO, Captain John W. Murray
Florida Trend, a leading magazine and website for the business community, has named its 500 most influential executives in different economic sectors throughout the state.
Port Canaveral CEO Captain John Murray has been selected to chair the Florida Seaport Transportation Economic Development Council
Enstructure, a bulk terminal and logistics company that owns and operates a network of dry, liquid and breakbulk terminals and logistics assets on the East Coast and Inland River System of the U.S., recently acquired Ambassador Services Inc (ASI), which is a full time maritime terminal operator located at Port Canaveral. Ambassador will continue its operation here, but now as Ambassador Services International LLC with Brian Hubert as president.
Cruise terminal 8, home to Disney Cruise Line, has been undergoing renovations and now has a targeted substantial completion date of April 2021.
Carnival Cruise Line has provided an update on the new Mardi Gras, which will become the first LNG-powered cruise ship to homeport in North America when it begins scheduled sailings from CT3 on Feb. 6, 2021.
U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio announce plans to help cruise lines set sail safely again.
Cruise Lines Prepare to Incorporate Core Health Protocols in the Gradual Return to Service.