The second busiest cruise port in the wold, Port Everglades, has announced it has recently broken its record for the most passengers in a single day. On 20 December 2015 a whopping 53,485 passengers embarked and disembarked at the Floridian port, eclipsing the previous record set five years previously.
The last record for the port was set on 20 March 2010, when (an almost equally impressive) 53,365 guests made their way through the port’s many doors. An impressive eight cruise ships pulled into the port on the record-breaking day – pushing the passenger numbers past the previous record by 120 bodies.
Helping the port reach the record-breaking figure was the largest cruise ship in the world, as the Allure of the Seas pulled in for a new batch of Caribbean-bound holidaymakers. Alongside the Allure was fleet mate Navigator of the Seas as well as the two ships of Princess Cruises’ Royal Class, Royal Princess and Regal Princess. Joining these four ships were the Carnival Conquest, Celebrity Silhouette and Holland America Line’s duo Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.
Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak: “We were cautiously optimistic that we would break the record this year, but didn’t want to celebrate prematurely. It is difficult to judge how many families would be sharing staterooms with children and driving up the count. Plus, one ship came from dry dock without guests, which would have added another 2,000 people. We are pleased that our cruise operations continue to grow.”
Many of the passengers were embarking on Christmas cruises, enjoying the festive season in the lap of sea-faring luxury. A large percentage of the cruises setting off from Port Everglades undertake Caribbean itineraries, thanks to the strategic positioning of the Floridian port. The ongoing popularity of the Caribbean is a major reason why Port Everglades along with Port of Miami and Port Canaveral (all Florida) are the three busiest cruise ports in the world.
Images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons. Credit: Navin Rajagopalan, Tom Mascardo
