Royal Caribbean's 7,600-guest Legend of the Seas homeports at Port Everglades from November, after a third straight record year of 5.38 million cruise guests.
Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas will make Port Everglades its home port in November. The port calls it the world’s largest cruise ship. It is the newest of Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships and carries up to 7,600 guests.
The ship will homeport in Fort Lauderdale for the 2027 season. Port Everglades announced the arrival in its Oct. 22 cruise season release. The port did not give an arrival date.
The same release said the port had its third record cruise year in a row. More than 5.38 million cruise guests came through Port Everglades in fiscal year 2026, which ended Sept. 30.
A third record year
The port’s own figures show how far cruising has come back since the pandemic shut it down. Port Everglades counted 116,946 cruise passengers in fiscal year 2021, according to its Waterborne Commerce Chart. The chart’s figures for recent years are preliminary.
| Fiscal year | Cruise passengers |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 3,892,215 |
| 2021 | 116,946 |
| 2023 | 3,007,358 |
| 2024 | 4,127,715 |
| 2025 | 4,773,873 |
| 2026 | more than 5.38 million |
The 2026 figure is from the Oct. 22 release. The earlier years are from the chart.
What else is new this season
The port said it will host nine cruise lines and 40 different ships this season. New or returning ships named in the release include:
- Legend of the Seas, Royal Caribbean, up to 7,600 guests
- Orient Express Corinthian, from Orient Express Sailing Yachts, which the port calls the world’s largest sailing ship, with up to 110 guests
- Crystal Symphony, a 606-guest Crystal ship refurbished in 2025, which will also homeport here
The nine lines are Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Crystal, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Orient Express, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Viking Ocean Cruises. Baleària Caribbean’s fast ferry also sails from the port.
Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas page lists winter Southern and Western Caribbean sailings from Fort Lauderdale. Features the line lists include a water park it calls Category 6, an ice rink and a pool deck it calls Royal Bay.
Changes at the terminals
The port said Cruise Terminal 18 has been refreshed. The terminal opened in 2009 for Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. The changes the port listed are:
- the outside painted ocean blue
- a more open embarkation hall
- new furniture and artwork in the VIP lounge
More than 850 parking spaces have been added next to Terminal 18. The port now has 6,386 spaces across its two parking garages and several lots, the release said.
A large print of “Florida Paradise,” a work by South Florida artist Romero Britto, now hangs on the southeast side of the Palm Garage. The same artwork is on the cover of the port’s 2027-28 Cruise Guide.
A new cruise director at the port
Martin Jackson now heads a new Cruise Services Division at the port. He was assistant director of the former Cruise Services Section and joined the port in January 2025.
“Since Martin joined Port Everglades in January of 2025, he has been a consistent champion of the guest experience,” CEO and Port Director Joseph Morris said.
What it means for you
- If you are sailing, check your ship’s terminal and parking garage before you leave home. The port lists every sailing in its port guides and publications.
- If you live near the port, ship days have been rising. The port counted 1,019 cruise ship calls in fiscal year 2025, up from 889 the year before, its chart shows.
For road work near the port and Interstate 595, see our road construction and closures page. For other ways to get around the city, see getting around Fort Lauderdale.
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