Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida)

Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale's cruise port) is a major seaport in Broward County (Florida USA), and currently ranked the world's 3rd-largest cruise port - after PortMiami and Port Canaveral. Port Everglades (locode USFLL) is one of Florida's largest economic hubs and South Florida's gateway for both international cargo- and passenger/cruise shipping traffic.

Annually, the port handles 4000+ vessels (passenger, bulk cargo, container ships), cargo tonnage 25,3+ million tons, TEU-containers 7,2+ million, passengers 3,86+ million. Port's annual revenue is ~USD 170 million, Net income ~USD 75 million, business activities ~USD 30 billion.

Port Everglades is one of the USA's main cruise departure (turnaround) ports for Caribbean roundtrip itineraries. Fort Lauderdale is approx 50 km (30 mi) from Miami.

Since 2011, the cruiseferry company BALEARIA Caribbean provides daily crossings from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport (Grand Bahama Island). In August 2019, the company started a fast-ferry service from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini Island Bahamas (crossing time ~2 hours). The fat-ferry (catamaran ship) has passenger capacity 650, max speed 38 knots (70 kph / 44 mph) and offers 5 weekly crossings with departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Port Everglades cruise port

Port Everglades' cruise ship tourism-related operations have a total annual economic value of nearly USD 30 billion. It is accounted for approx 160,000 jobs (port-related businesses), including ~11,400 jobs in companies directly providing services to the port. On average, each cruise vessel generates approx USD 2,2 million in revenue for local businesses.

Port Everglades is South Florida's main seaport for importing, storage and distribution of petroleum products and alternative fuels. The waterway's depth is 43 ft (13 m), ranking it USA's deepest seaport on the Atlantic coast (south of Norfolk VA, not on the US East Coast in general).

Cruise port's statistics for season 2014-2015 showed that:

• approx 50% of all cruise ship passengers/pax were East Coast USA residents. Most international passengers were flying from Toronto, Canada.
• 62% of all cruise tourists stayed in South Florida hotels overnight (prior departure), 21% stayed overnight after the voyage, 46% stayed in Fort Lauderdale hotels.
• 51% of all pax had Fort Lauderdale hotel booked (prior departure).
• 21% of all pax arrived from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which is conveniently located next the cruise port.
• 31% of all pax booked cruises online (through port's website).
• 63% of all pax flying in Ft Lauderdale booked cruises separately from airfare.
• The average age of once-a-year cruising tourists was 55-64 yo, twice-a-year ones were 65-74 yo.

In 2014, the seaport generated USD 28+ billion and was accounted for over 224,000 jobs throughout Florida. In 2015, the cruise port was ranked world's 3rd busiest for handling 877 ship calls and over 3,4 million passengers. In 2016, Port Everglades handled almost 3,9 million passengers served by 9 different cruise lines with a total of 39 different vessels.

Among cruise port's new technology implementations are new CBP programs (US Customs and Border Protection), including the "Global Entry" program (allowing expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the USA) and MPC (Mobile Passport Control, authorized smartphone app to expedite travelers entry process into the USA). Port Everglades is the ever first seaport offering this app. Travelers can use the MPC app to provide biographic info prior to speaking with Customs officers. Since summer 2015, the port gives preferential processing to cruise passengers with Global Entry cards.

In 2016, the cruise port completed pilot testing of APC kiosks (abbrev "Automated Passport Control") in 2 terminals. This is yet another CBP initiative to fasten the passenger inspection process. In 2017, port's "Navigation Improvements Project" received federal authorization for the US Army Corps of Engineers to dredge (deepen and widen) its navigational channels The project is anticipated to create around 2200 construction jobs plus around 1500 permanent local jobs as result of the increased cargo shipping traffic.

On November 4, 2016, world's largest cruise ships (Royal Caribbean's OASIS-class vessels Allure, Oasis and Harmony) came together off Port Everglades for the first time. Carrying together over 16,000 passengers, the three liners joined up to celebrate the USA-homeporting of Harmony of the Seas (newest Oasis ship) in Fort Lauderdale. Of the three ships, Harmony was the newest but also the biggest - even though by only 1 ft (30 cm) and 1700 tons. Harmony OTS was finishing her inaugural Transatlantic repositioning crossing.

During season 2016-17, the world's top-three largest cruise homeports/turnaround ports handled the following numbers of passengers - PortMiami (4,98M), Port Canaveral (4,248M), Port Everglades (3,826M).

Following President Trump's executive order on immigration, in the end of January 2017 Port Everglades officials reported cruise tourists being detained by US Customs and Border Protection. All detainees had to provide background info about them, their families and also their past life in their native countries. The new President's order was signed on Jan 27, and included a 90-day ban on travel to the USA by citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Starting December 22, 2017 (through April 2018), HAL Holland America Line (Carnival Corporation brand) scheduled cruises to Cuba roundtrip from Port Everglades on MS Veendam. HAL's 7-, 11-12-days long Cuban itineraries from Fort Lauderdale also visited other Caribbean ports. HAL's prices started from USD 900 per person (double occupancy inside cabin rates). Bookings opened on May 26, 2017. The 210-passenger ship Pearl Mist became the ever-first to operate roundtrip Fort Lauderdale to Cuba cruises, with 10-day itineraries (January through April 2017).

For FY2019 (fiscal year) the cruise port handled ~3,892 million tourists (1% increase over FY18). On December 1st, Port Everglades reported a new "One Day World Record" with handled 55964 cruise passengers (arriving and departing). The previous single-day record was also in Port Everglades and reported on March 13, 2016 (55885 passengers).

On March 15, 2022, Broward County and Port Everglades signed a USD 495,000 agreement with FPL (Florida Power & Light Company/1925-founded, the state's largest power utility, subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc) to explore providing shore-power supply/city-grid electricity to all cruise berths.

• The shoreside-power technology allows the docked vessels to switch off their diesel engines and use the city grid's electricity for all onboard operations and services. By the agreement, FPL will construct a new power substation and distribution facilities/infrastructure upgrades at the cruise port.
• In January 2023 was completed the study (conducted by Moffatt & Nichol/Long Beach CA-based infrastructure advisory firm) for adding shorepower to Port Everglades' all 8 cruise terminals. The project is a cooperation between FPL and the shipowners (with homeporting operations in Fort Lauderdale) Carnival Corporation, RCG-Royal Caribbean Group, and DCL-Disney Cruise Line.
• The study assessed the Port's existing power grid's capacity, identified the needed infrastructure upgrades and also recommended a plan for installing the required equipment for a total of 16 MW of electricity to be delivered simultaneously to all passenger terminals.

The shore-power project's cost was estimated at ~US$20 million per terminal. The total ~US$160 million investment is expected to be financed through federal and state grants, plus contributions from Broward County , FPL, and the three participating cruise companies. Construction works are scheduled to start in 2024-Q2 and be completed in 2027-Q4.

Port Everglades

As container shipping (cargo) port, in 2013 Port Everglades was ranked Florida's 1st and USA's 10th busiest, handling over 1 million TEUs.

In 2015, the Port received its LEED certification (abbrev "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design") for Cruise Terminal 4. Following a renovation project, Terminal 4 received major energy-efficient improvements. The features that made the Terminal 4 facility eligible for LEED certification include:

• use of regionally produced materials (within 500 mi / 800 km of the terminal)
• use of recycled asphalt and concrete in construction works
• use of natural light within the building
• use of low VOC products (abbrev "volatile organic compounds") for coating, flooring, paints, adhesives
• low-water usage toilets
• energy-efficient windows, air-conditioning, lighting (inside / outside)

In June 2017, the port invested USD 38,4 million for purchasing 3x container-handling gantry cranes (serving the world's largest Super Post-Panamax container carriers/boxships) priced USD 13,8 million each. This class of cargo vessels can carry up to 10,500 TEU-containers each. Port Everglades' capacity improvements project was budgeted USD 437,5 million, and included construction of new berths (for larger cargo vessels) and installing a new rail infrastructure for new gantry cranes.

For FY17 (fiscal year 2017 / ending on September 30) Port Everglades reported increased cruise passenger shipping volumes as well as a record year for container shipping volumes.

• In 2017 it handled a total of 1,076893 million TEUs or an increase of 4% over FY16. The last record year was FY15 (1,060507 million TEUs). Petroleum shipping volumes (FY17 over FY16) increased by 1% - from 121,068561 million to 122,267524 million barrels.
• There was also an increase in reefer volumes (refrigerated containers) carrying produce from Central America. This containerized cargo segment represents over 50% of all perishable cargo shipped to Florida. The other major containerized import cargoes are apparel, tiles, beverages, machinery, auto parts.
• The increase in passenger shipping numbers (FY17 over FY16) was 1% as the port handled a total of 3,863662 million pax. Multi-day cruise ship tourists increased by 2% (3,680549 to 3,738252 million pax). Among the largest newcomers in 2017 were the liners Harmony of the Seas (RCI) and MS Koningsdam (HAL).
• Port's FY17 operating revenue was USD 163 million. The port's total economic value was nearly USD 30 billion, with 222,000+ local (Florida) jobs impacted, of which ~13,000 employed by companies providing direct services to the port.

On May 10, 2018, USCG Cutter James offloaded in Port Everglades approx 6 tons of cocaine (street value USD 180 million) interdicted in international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Drugs were seized by 3 USCG cutters (Bertholf, Bear, James) and from 6 separate drug smuggling ships navigating off Central and South America and Mexico in the period February-April 2018. In June-July were seized over 7 tons of cocaine by cutters Mohawk (3395 kg), Tampa (1363 kg), Venturous (741 kg), Alert (981 kg).

In June 2018, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) installed an advanced sensor system designed for real-time monitoring of tides, water currents, sea levels and other meteo information at Port Everglades. The new "Port Everglades Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System" provides online data accessible to private boaters and commercial users.

In early-December 2018, Port Everglades and Empresa Nacional Portuaria de Honduras (Honduras Port Authority) signed an MOU as part of the Sister Seaports Program. Honduras is Port Everglades' largest trade partner by shipping volume, including total TEUs. Over USD 2,12 billion worth of goods are annually shipped through the seaport.

In 2020-2025, at Port Everglades will be conducted major infrastructure development works (~USD 1,6 billion) including navigation channels dredging (deepening from 42 to 50 ft / 13 to 15 m) and widening (to allow access to Neo-Panamax ships), building a new facility at USCG Station Fort Lauderdale, building a new cruise parking garage (to serve Terminal 2 and Terminal 4).

• Southport's turning was extended/lengthened from 900 to 2400 ft (274 to 732 m). By the Southport Turning Notch Extension project (USD 471 million) were also added new cargo berths and includes the port's Crane Rail Infrastructure project.
• By the end of 2020 were scheduled for delivery and installation 3x Super Post-Panamax container cranes (ship-to-shore gantry cranes).
• In 2020, at CenterPoint Properties was completed the International Logistics Center (2-building complex sized 17 acres / 6,9 hectares).
• In 2020, cruise ship terminals 2 and 4 received a new parking space (Heron Garage, with capacity 1818 vehicles), elevator banking, an air-conditioned passenger boarding bridge (mobile walkways link to Terminal 2).
• In December 2016 (by the Harbor Navigation Improvement project) the US Army Corps of Engineers deepened and widened the port's shipping channels. In 2020, the US Army Corps of Engineers received federal funding (USD 29,1 billion) to widen the Intracoastal Waterway (USA's Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts).
• Road improvements will reduce traffic congestion. An APM (Automated People Mover) will link directly Port Everglades with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport and Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale (1950 Eisenhower Blvd).

On April 26, 2021, DCL-Disney Cruise Line requested the Port to negotiate for homeporting at "Cruise Terminal 4" and the adjacent "Berth 4" to move its operations from Miami to Port Everglades.

• The deal (signed in December) allows DCL to homeport for year-round roundtrips.
• The 15-year agreement (thru 2038) requires DCL to provide a minimum 10,6 million passenger movements. Three optional extensions (5-year each) will add another 11,25 million movements.
• Disney's Terminal 4 design (provided by "Bermello, Ajamil & Partners Inc" (1939-founded, Miami-based) was officially approved by the Broward County Commission on April 5, 2022.

The Port's investment into Disney's "Cruise Terminal 4" was ~US$ 35 million.

The first ship (Disney Dream) started year-round homeporting here on November 20, 2023. A second DCL vessel (Disney Magic)  was scheduled to homeport only seasonally (starting on May 9, 2025). The new Disney terminal was officially opened/inaugurated on November 13th. The ceremony was attended by Sharon Siskie (DCL's Senior VP and General Manager).

Fort Lauderdale cruise terminal

Fort Lauderdale tours, shore excursions, hotels

City Tours and Shore Excursions

Riverwalk is a paved riverside path on the banks of New River in Fort Lauderdale.

Stranahan House is the city's earliest residence built by the “father of Fort Lauderdale,” Frank Stranahan in 1901.

Fort Lauderdale History Center is themed on the city's history.

Bonnet House Museum And Gardens were built in 1920s by Frederick Clay Bartlett as winter residence to get away from Chicago.

Forth Lauderdale’s South Beach Park is the nearest to downtown beach. It is lifeguarded and unique as it borders a paved promenade street.