Florida’s Cruise Industry Statewide Perspective Executive Summary Florida has long held the distinction of being the number one U.S. cruise state, home to the top three cruise ports in the world — PortMiami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral. However, Florida is in danger of losing this economically favorable status, with potential redeployment of the increasingly large floating assets of the cruise industry to other markets. Great future opportunity clearly exists, as the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) continues to cite the cruise industry as the fastest-growing segment of the travel industry and notes that because only approximately 24 percent of U.S. adults have ever Cruise ships at PortMiami taken a cruise vacation, there remains an enormous untapped market. Introduction As detailed in this report, the cruise industry is Recognizing the importance of the cruise industry continuing to bring new ships into service on a global to the present and future economic prosperity basis, with a focus upon larger vessels, those capable of the state of Florida, the Florida Department of of carrying as many as 4,000 or more passengers Transportation commissioned this report to furnish a per sailing – twice the capacities of the vessels statewide perspective. introduced as the first “megaships” two decades ago. The report is designed to help provide a framework While the larger vessels provide opportunities for for actions—including engagement with cruise lines greater economic impacts, they may not consistently and cruise ports and appropriate deployment of fiscal be deployed at Florida ports if the appropriate resources—to ensure that Florida retains and enhances infrastructure is not in place. Impediments such as low its longstanding position as the nation’s leading cruise bridge clearance must also be addressed. state. In fiscal year 2012, Florida ports combined to report While such efforts should aim to encourage almost 14 million cruise passenger embarkation and deployment at Florida’s ports of additional cruise ships debarkation (revenue passengers), with projected and/or bringing in of larger vessels in place of currently growth to 21.6 million by fiscal 2026. (It bears noting deployed ships, there is no intention whatsoever to that the longtime cruise industry standard for give preference or advantage to any one Florida port counting revenue passengers is to present a total or cruise line over another. Rather, the intent is to of embarkations and debarkations, so, for example, furnish extensive background information and provide a sailing of a ship to and from a port with 4,000 possible implementation actions - at both the state passengers aboard would be recorded as having a and federal policy levels - that encourage cruise- passenger count of 8,000.) related economic growth to benefit the people of Florida. Insights gathered for this report include information from each of the following Florida cruise ports: Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Port of Jacksonville, Port of Key West, PortMiami, Port of Palm Beach and Port of Tampa. Study team members also gathered direct input from Carnival Corp. (including its Princess Cruises unit), Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. In addition, members of the study team met with leadership of the Florida- Caribbean Cruise Association, including its Security and Operations Committee. Port Everglades’ working cruise terminals and berths 22, 25, and 26 Florida’s Cruise Industry Statewide Perspective Florida Department of Transportation Page 1 At the same time, the cruise industry’s total contribution to Florida’s gross state product (GSP), already at nearly $2.43 billion in fiscal 2011, is forecast to reach almost $3.83 billion by fiscal 2026, with total cruise-related employment in Florida growing from 58,725 to 92,588 over this 15-year span. There is no question that the cruise industry is vital to the economic prosperity of Florida now and in the future.1 Whether or not these projections will actually come to fruition, however, depends upon the ability of the state of Florida and its ports to fulfill industry demands. At both the executive and legislative levels, the importance of the cruise industry to the state Carnival Paradise at the Port of Tampa of Florida has been widely recognized, as illustrated by priority funding of port-related infrastructure. Whereas much of this state investment has been the list, Hawaii, at 15 percent, in a survey for which focused on the swift, efficient movement of freight, respondents could list multiple destinations. 2 the port infrastructure and landside connections have That said, sufficient waterside and landside capacity also spurred cruise-related development and proven has been essential to the state’s growth as the leading beneficial to cruise companies and their passengers. player in the global cruise industry marketplace. It In addition, Florida cruise ports and the cruise lines is imperative that sufficient waterside and landside operating from them have made hundreds of millions capacity be in place to accommodate this activity. of dollars of investments, particularly at ports where As cruise lines build and deploy larger vessels, it is long-term agreements are in place to guarantee essential that facilities keep pace so that the general passenger activity in the future. Over the last twelve industry practice of positioning the newest and biggest months, Florida has increased its level of spending on cruise ships at Florida home ports is maintained. improvements at Florida’s seaports. This has included The cruise industry presence in Florida is not limited to significant investments in cruise related infrastructure, one or two ports; rather, home port operations span including a mix of channel, berth, and terminal virtually the entire length of the state’s Atlantic Coast, improvements at Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, from Jacksonville to Port Canaveral to Palm Beach to Port of Key West, and PortMiami. Additional state Port Everglades to Miami, and include Tampa on the investment in these ports should not only help ensure Gulf Coast, as well as the popular port of call of Key continued and expanded relationships between the West. With the cruise industry trend of placing ships cruise lines and ports, but also encourage new and within a drive-to market, further port development of expanded long-term agreements which will support Florida’s Gulf Coast may present new opportunities for the continued economic strength of Florida’s cruise additional growth. The Greater Tampa Bay region has industry. 8 million consumers, and 30 million consumers within In expanding upon the relationships between Florida’s an 8 hour drive, however Tampa’s growth potential is ports and cruise lines, it is important to keep in mind limited due to the Tampa Bay Bridge. the four primary considerations of cruise line decision- Although the contributions of the cruise industry to makers in positioning vessels: the state of Florida are tremendous and the millions • Port infrastructure availability of annual cruise passengers hosted by the state are • Airlift capabilities highly significant, incredible growth opportunities still • Marketing of the home port as a destination unto exist, as fewer than five percent of the U.S. population itself sails on a cruise each year. By further promoting • Proximity of ports of call and regulations cruising from Florida through existing visitor/tourism- promotion initiatives (which serve the further purpose It may be argued that Florida’s dominance in the cruise of promoting cruise port cities as destinations unto industry is largely related to its strategic positioning themselves), among other means, the state will be at the gateway to the Caribbean and the Bahamas, in a better position to capitalize on this vast largely which continue to represent by far the most appealing untapped market. destination for cruise vacationers, with the Caribbean at 43 percent and the Bahamas at 25 percent, tied As outlined in the findings and implementation actions with Alaska and well ahead of the next destination on at the conclusion of this report, numerous additional 1 2011 study by Business Research and Economic Advisors for CLIA. 2 American Association of Port Authorities and Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association Florida’s Cruise Industry Statewide Perspective Florida Department of Transportation Page 2 steps, including some at the federal policy level, should various locations throughout the area allowing ships to be considered to further advance the contribution attract clientele from a wider market. With port calls of the cruise industry to Florida and its people. This in the Mediterranean, Baltic, Black Sea, and Atlantic statewide study and its implementation actions are Isles, Europe has around 250 ports visited by cruise intended to act as a catalyst for growth of the Florida ships, offering travelers vast sailing options as well as cruise industry and thus the statewide economy and sourcing passengers from each of those port cities. In socioeconomic well-being of Floridians. some cases, these seagoing European cruises link with river cruises as well. Global Cruise Industry Overview Emerging/New Markets: China, Latin America, Dominant Markets and New Emerging Cuba While the Caribbean and Mediterranean markets Markets currently dominate the global cruise industry, Established Markets: The Caribbean and the significant growth opportunities have been identified Mediterranean in some of the world’s emerging economies, The largest markets currently dominating the cruise particularly China and Brazil. China alone has over industry are focused on the Caribbean, including the 300 million middle class citizens, with most located Bahamas, and the Mediterranean. These two markets in coastal cities. As a result, China has become the alone account for more than 50 percent of all “bed largest spender in international tourism, opening a days.” Passenger bed days are the number of days huge market source for the cruise industry. Brazil has that all berths were occupied during the calendar also emerged on the stage with a climb from 29th year.