The annual Cruise Hive Awards named Florida’s Port Canaveral the Best US Homeport for 2023 for the fourth consecutive year.
In the United States, Port Canaveral retains its crown as the top homeport
The east coast port earned 34% of the vote, more than twice the votes earned by PortMiami in second place. Nearly 20 ports competed for the annual award.
Since 2014, Cruise Hive has been holding its annual awards. Voting opened on October 1, 2023, and closed on Friday, December 22.
The best US cruise homeports
In February 2023, the Florida Ports Council announced that Port Canaveral had 4.07 million multi-day passengers in 2022, which makes the cruise Hive Awards the second milestone for the port. As a result, Port Canaveral surpassed Miami’s total of 4.02 million, making it the world’s busiest cruise port in 2022. PortMiami regained the title for 2023 in December.
Many of the top cruise lines in the industry are based in Port Canaveral, including Carnival Cruise Line, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Royal Caribbean International. In addition to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Eastern and Western Mexico, it offers easy access to more than 50 destinations.
A short transfer time from Orlando International Airport and parking availability make this a convenient port for families traveling to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida, and SeaWorld Orlando.
Carnival Cruise Line leaving Port Canaveral on a 7-day Caribbean cruise.
Cruise Port Miami and Port Everglades finish in the top three of the best US homeports
With 16% of the vote, Cruise Port Miami finished second in the Cruise Hive Awards for Best US Homeport in 2023. Its location on the southern tip of Florida makes it a popular spot to begin cruises to the Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean, which is why it is nicknamed the “Cruise Capital of the World.”
Taking third place with 14% of the votes was Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, giving Florida ports the top three spots on Cruise Hive. Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Royal Caribbean are among the cruise lines that operate in Port Everglades.
In the previous three years, Cruise Port Miami and Port Everglades finished second and third, respectively.
Port of Galveston
It is located on the Gulf of Mexico and recently invested $250 million in improvements to accommodate Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Jubilee, which finished in fourth place in 2023 with 8% of the vote. On December 23, 2023, the ship began sailing from Galveston and is scheduled to remain in Galveston until at least April 2026.
The best US cruise homeports
Fifth place went to Port Tampa Bay with 3% of the reader vote, followed by Port of San Diego (3%), Port of New Orleans (3%), Port of Baltimore (3%), Bayonne in New Jersey (2%), Port of Seattle (2%), and Manhattan Cruise Terminal (2%).
Also receiving votes were the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in California, the Port of Charleston in South Carolina, the Port of Boston, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, JAXPORT in Florida, and the Port of Mobile in Alabama.
The Port of Canaveral projects more growth in 2024
In the 1960s, Port Canaveral played a key role in America’s space program as the homeport for the nearby Kennedy Space Center, located 45 miles east of Orlando.
Carnival Cruise Line homeported its first ship at Port Canaveral in 1990, followed by Disney Cruise Line in 1998, and Royal Caribbean in 2000.