Port Canaveral and Disney Cruise Line unveil new terminal upgrades

The Canaveral Port Authority and Disney Cruise Line have reached a new 20-year agreement to expand operations and make Port Canaveral home for two of Disney Cruise Line’s three new ships.

The new operating agreement will begin June 1, 2019, and replaces an existing Marine Terminal Agreement set to expire on December 31, 2027. It provides a 20-year primary term with two additional five-year renewals. Initially, the call guarantee remains at 150 calls, but increases to 180 calls in 2023 and up to 216 calls in 2024 through the remainder of the 20-year term.

new disney cruise ship at port canaveral florida

“For decades we have worked with Disney Cruise Line building a partnership based on our mutual commitment to excellence. We are tremendously proud of our joint success and looking ahead at growing an even more exciting future with Disney Cruise Line and Port Canaveral as the homeport for its newest class of vessels,” said Canaveral Port Authority Port Director and CEO Capt. John Murray.

The terms of the new agreement continue Disney’s exclusive operation from Cruise Terminal 8, in addition to providing preferential use of the Port’s Cruise Terminal 10 for a third homeport vessel. The planned waterside and landside improvements to Cruise Terminal 8 and Cruise Terminal 10 will accommodate the growth of Disney’s fleet of cruise ships. The new ships are expected to be delivered in 2021, 2022 and 2023, with two of them homeporting in Port Canaveral for at least their first five years of operation.

“Port Canaveral was the inaugural homeport for our first ship and has served as a gateway for magical cruise vacations ever since,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Disney Cruise Line. “We value our longstanding relationship with Port Canaveral and look forward to expanding our presence there as we introduce new ships and new family cruise experiences.”

new port facility for disney cruise line in port canaveral florida

The agreement between Disney Cruise Line and Port Canaveral continues a relationship that began with negotiations in 1994 to build the first Disney cruise terminal at Port Canaveral. All four of Disney’s cruise ships in its existing fleet made Port Canaveral their home port when they debuted. The cruise line’s two biggest ships, the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, are currently homeported at Port Canaveral year-round, while the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder rotate home ports.

Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to accept the terms of the new agreement at the regularly scheduled Commissioners’ meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2019.