Port Everglades Reports 5.38 Million Guests, Expands 2027-28 Lineup

By Elena Vasquez

Port Everglades said more than 5.38 million cruise guests passed through the Broward County port in 2026, extending a record-setting run to a third consecutive year. The port described the cruise season as officially underway in October.

The figure measures passenger throughput, not cruise revenue, booking value or seller commissions, none of which the announcement disclosed. For travel sellers, more guests can enlarge demand for transfers, hotels, excursions and packaged cruises, but the port supplied no spending, conversion or commission data to size that revenue.

What does the internal change mean?

Following the Broward County Board of County Commissioners’ approval of the FY27 budget, Martin Jackson became director of the newly created Cruise Services Division. Jackson previously served as assistant director of the Cruise Services Section and joined Port Everglades in January 2025.

CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris said: "Since Jackson joined Port Everglades in January of 2025, he has been a consistent champion of the guest experience." Morris said the restructuring is intended to give the cruise business line dedicated support for daily service to cruise-line partners and future growth with existing and new brands.

Jackson said: "Operational consistency earns trust, both internally and with our guests and customers, while continuous improvement ensures we are always making progress and moving ideas, vision, and strategy forward." He also said the division remains committed to exceptional experiences for port guests and clients.

The new structure may sharpen coordination between cruise calls, terminal service and partner sales, according to the stated rationale. No staffing plan, budget amount, berth productivity target or revenue forecast accompanied the appointment. For agencies and tour operators, organizational clarity can matter, but the release does not establish changes to inventory allocations, preferred-supplier status or commission terms.

What is changing in the announced season?

Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas will arrive in November to homeport for the 2027 season. Homeport means the ship’s regular operating base. Orient Express Sailing Yachts will also be new to the port, while the Crystal Symphony will homeport there. These announcements describe future deployment plans, not completed sailings or measured sales.

Across the announced season, Port Everglades will host nine cruise lines and 40 different cruise ships:

• Celebrity Cruises
• Cunard Line
• Crystal
• Disney Cruise Line
• Holland America Line
• Orient Express
• Princess Cruises
• Royal Caribbean
• Viking Ocean Cruises

That gives agencies and advisers a brand-and-ship set to compare, but the announcement does not specify sailing dates, cabin categories, group allotments or booking channels. The release also provides no market-share, berth-day or cruise-line revenue data. The port’s “Port Everglades 2027-28 Cruise Guide” adds the season’s published sailings, yet gives no measure of confirmed reservations.

What changed at Terminal 18 and Palm Garage?

Port Everglades refreshed Cruise Terminal 18, painting the terminal ocean blue and transforming the embark hall (passenger boarding area) and VIP lounge (premium passenger area). The port also added more than 850 parking spaces adjacent to Terminal 18, raising that total to 6,386.

These improvements can support more reliable vehicle pickup, embarkation and premium waiting space, creating a better setting for sales of transfers, excursions and pre- or post-cruise hotel packages. However, the announcement disclosed no pricing, fee or attendance forecast, so sellers cannot quantify the commercial effect.

Marketing also received an upgrade: the 2027-28 guide features Romero Britto cover artwork titled “Florida Paradise,” and the port installed a print on the southeast side of the Palm Garage. The port described Britto as a world-renowned artist and South Florida resident. The artwork is brand visibility, not a disclosed revenue initiative.

For sellers, the 2027-28 test is whether nine cruise lines, 40 ships and three deployments translate into confirmed bookings, higher commissionable package revenue and stronger excursion demand; Port Everglades has not published the figures needed to judge that outcome.