Symphony of the Seas Makes Its US Debut

Port Canaveral welcomed the world’s largest cruise ship last week (Nov. 8) as Royal Caribbean International’s Symphony of the Seas made its historic first North American port of call.

The massive cruise vessel arrived at the Port’s Cruise Terminal 1 from Malaga, Spain with nearly 5,500 cruise guests and 2,200 international crew members.

“We’re proud of the confidence our partners at Royal Caribbean have in us. Although this ship will be home-ported in Miami, our cruise partner trusted the capabilities of this port for its first US port of call,” noted Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray. “As a brand new ship, coming from a foreign port, it’s important that the customs clearance and Coast Guard inspection operations run smoothly and efficiently to avoid time delays and preserve a positive guest experience.”

After crossing the Atlantic, the cruise ship, which has a capacity of 6,680 passengers and 2,200 crew members and cost more than US$1 billion to build, Symphony of the Seas arrived at Port Canaveral to clear customs and undergo the required U.S. Coast Guard port state control inspection. The Symphony has been sailing Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona, Spain, since making its maiden voyage on April 7.

Symphony has since departed Port Canaveral and is now in Miami.

(Photo: Canaveral Port Authority)