Port Everglades said it will invest $100 million in its
Terminal 25 as part of a long-term berthing agreement with Royal Caribbean
Cruises Ltd.
The terminal, built in 1992, will get a complete overhaul,
port officials said.
"Renovating Cruise Terminal 25 was already part of our
Master/Vision Plan, and was scheduled to begin this year," said Port
Everglades port director and CEO Steven Cernak. "Giving preferential
berthing rights to Royal Caribbean allows us to build a facility that meets
their expectations for the new generations of larger cruise ships and for the
new Celebrity Edge, which is scheduled to homeport at Port Everglades beginning
in December 2018."
The new agreement replaces the current RCCL agreement, which
expires at the end of 2017, and continues through September 30, 2026, with
options to extend the terms for an additional four years, followed by an
additional five years, Port Everglades said.
RCCL also has preferential berthing rights at Terminal 18 at
Port Everglades, which was rebuilt in 2009 to accommodate the Oasis of the
Seas.
The Oasis has since moved to Port Canaveral. Terminal 18 is
currently home to its sister ships: Harmony of the Seas, which sails year-round
on Saturdays, and Allure of the Seas, which sails year-round on Sundays.