FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Florida Business & Tourism Press Desk Date: April 15, 2026
South Florida’s Anchor Company Is on the Move: Royal Caribbean Group Reshapes the Global Cruise Map From Its Miami Home Base
With a record year behind it, a $345 million terminal rising at PortMiami, the world’s newest mega-ship bound for Fort Lauderdale, and a landmark fleet repositioning announced just days ago, Royal Caribbean Group is writing its most consequential chapter yet — and Florida is at the center of every headline
A Company in Full Stride, Rooted Right Here
MIAMI, FL — Stand at the edge of PortMiami on any given morning and the skyline tells you everything. The cranes, the construction barriers, the gleaming hulls of ships so large they seem to redefine what a vessel can be — this is not a port in maintenance mode. This is a port in transformation. And at the center of that transformation is a company that has called South Florida home for more than five decades.
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL), the Miami-based vacation conglomerate that operates the world’s largest cruise fleet, is in the middle of the most ambitious expansion cycle in its history. In the span of just the past four months, the company has broken ground on a $345 million terminal complex, reported over 30 percent earnings growth for 2025, confirmed an entirely new class of cruise ships, and — as recently as this past week — announced a major fleet redeployment that will send one of the world’s largest ships back to Florida.
For South Florida’s workforce, tourism sector, hotel industry, port economy, and small business community, what happens at Royal Caribbean Group doesn’t stay at Royal Caribbean Group. It ripples outward into every corner of the region’s economy.
The Numbers That Define This Moment
2025 Was a Breakout Year — and 2026 Looks Even Better
When Royal Caribbean Group published its full-year 2025 financial results on January 29, the numbers told the story of a company operating at the top of its game. The company delivered Adjusted Earnings Per Share of $15.64, exceeding its own guidance thanks to stronger-than-expected revenue performance and better results from joint venture operations. That figure represents earnings growth of more than 30 percent compared to the prior year — a performance that outpaced most of the S&P 500 and virtually the entire hospitality sector.
Looking forward, the company has guided for Adjusted EPS in the range of $17.70 to $18.10 for 2026, with management projecting double-digit growth in both revenue and earnings driven by a 6.7 percent increase in capacity. First quarter 2026 financial results are scheduled to be reported on April 30, with analysts currently projecting earnings per share of approximately $3.20 — an 18 percent jump over the same quarter last year.
At a current market capitalization of approximately $74.9 billion, Royal Caribbean Group ranks among the most valuable companies in the state of Florida and one of the most closely watched hospitality stocks on earth.
Bookings Are Outpacing History
The company’s forward booking picture is equally compelling. Management reported that the seven-week booking period following its Cyber Sale through the onset of WAVE season produced the highest booking volumes in company history. Approximately two-thirds of 2026 capacity is already booked at record pricing levels, with close-in bookings running well ahead of prior years. Pre-cruise purchases — shore excursions, dining packages, spa reservations — now account for nearly half of onboard revenue, with 90 percent of those transactions happening digitally. That shift in consumer behavior signals not just healthy demand, but a fundamentally more profitable and predictable business model than existed even five years ago.
The Terminal That Will Transform PortMiami
Ground Was Broken. Construction Has Begun.
On the morning of January 8, 2026, officials and executives gathered at the northern tip of Dodge Island for a groundbreaking ceremony that marked the beginning of one of the most significant construction projects in South Florida’s recent history. The occasion was the formal start of work on Cruise Terminal G at PortMiami — a $345 million facility that will serve as the future home port gateway for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea passengers.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty, PortMiami Director Hydi Webb, and members of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners all participated in the ceremony, underscoring the scale of both the investment and the partnership that makes it possible. Funding for Terminal G is being provided jointly by Miami-Dade County and Royal Caribbean Group — a private-public partnership that reflects the deep alignment between the cruise industry’s future and South Florida’s economic ambitions.
What Terminal G Will Deliver
The facility, designed to pursue LEED certification, will be built by the Lemartec-NV2A Joint Venture in partnership with Perez & Perez Architects & Planners under a design-build delivery model. When complete, it will accommodate up to 7,000 passengers per sailing, making it one of the highest-capacity cruise terminals in the world. The complex includes a multi-level parking structure, an intermodal transportation hub at ground level, and embarkation and disembarkation infrastructure engineered specifically to serve the Icon Class — the largest cruise ships on earth.
The terminal’s architecture is designed to contribute to the evolving visual identity of PortMiami’s waterfront, following the industry trend toward landmark maritime structures that simultaneously function as gateways and as icons of the cities they serve.
Completion is targeted for late 2027. When Terminal G opens, it will do so alongside the broader infrastructure upgrades already transforming PortMiami — which in fiscal year 2025 set an all-time passenger record by welcoming more than 8.56 million cruise passengers through its terminals, a 4 percent increase over the previous year’s record.
The Economic Multiplier Effect
PortMiami already contributes an estimated $61 billion annually to the local economy and supports more than 340,000 jobs across Miami-Dade County. Terminal G will extend and deepen that impact. Construction itself will generate thousands of direct employment opportunities for South Florida contractors, tradespeople, architects, and engineers. Once operational, the terminal adds permanent capacity that translates directly into more ships, more sailings, more arriving passengers, more hotel nights, more restaurant seats filled, and more dollars moving through the South Florida economy.
Fort Lauderdale Gets the World’s Newest Mega-Ship
Legend of the Seas Is Coming to Broward County
When Royal Caribbean’s newest vessel enters service this summer, it will first spend several months introducing Icon Class cruising to Europe. Then, in November 2026, it will make its way to Florida — specifically to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale — where it will serve as Broward County’s most powerful tourism asset for the winter season.
Legend of the Seas is the third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Icon Class, joining Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas as the three largest passenger vessels ever constructed. At 248,663 gross tons and 1,196 feet in length, the ship accommodates 5,610 guests at double occupancy and represents an engineering achievement that remains genuinely difficult to comprehend at human scale.
A Debut Unlike Any Other
While Legend of the Seas shares the foundational architecture of her Icon Class predecessors, she introduces a series of original features designed to make her distinct:
America’s Got Talent LIVE at Sea makes its world debut aboard Legend of the Seas in August 2026 — the first time the global franchise has headlined an at-sea theater production. The rotating cast of magicians, musicians, acrobats, and variety performers will appear in the ship’s Royal Theater throughout the Mediterranean season before continuing when the ship repositions to Fort Lauderdale.
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory joins the entertainment lineup as a Broadway-caliber stage musical, bringing the golden ticket story to life nightly for Florida-departing guests.
The Royal Railway — Legend Station is an immersive dining experience set inside a full-size rail car. Screens built into the window panes simulate travel through diverse global landscapes, creating the sensation of a scenic journey while guests dine. It is one of the most conceptually original dining experiences Royal Caribbean has introduced in years.
A two-story casino makes its debut on Legend, the first Royal Caribbean vessel to offer that configuration — a feature that cruise industry observers have anticipated for years.
From Fort Lauderdale, the ship will operate six-night Western Caribbean and eight-night Southern Caribbean itineraries calling at Aruba, Curaçao, and Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas. Every sailing from Florida connects directly with Royal Caribbean’s private destination portfolio, offering passengers an integrated beach resort and ocean cruise experience that no other brand can replicate.
Breaking This Week: Symphony of the Seas Comes Home to Florida
A Major Fleet Decision Announced April 9, 2026
In news that landed just six days ago and has already generated significant discussion across the cruise industry, Royal Caribbean confirmed that Symphony of the Seas — one of the largest ships in the world at 228,081 gross tons — will be repositioned from Galveston, Texas to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 2027 season.
The Oasis Class vessel had been scheduled to remain in the Texas market through early 2028. The decision to bring it back to Florida ahead of that timeline reflects the company’s strategic prioritization of South Florida’s unmatched passenger demand and Port Everglades’ logistical and geographic advantages for Caribbean itinerary operations.
According to a Royal Caribbean spokesperson, the move is an evolution of deployment strategy rather than a cancellation of sailings. Guests booked on Galveston departures from August 2027 onward will be contacted directly and offered updated booking options. The ship will operate six-night and eight-night Caribbean itineraries from Fort Lauderdale, adding premium Oasis Class capacity to an already powerful South Florida lineup.
The redeployment means that beginning in the second half of 2027, Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades will be home porting not one but two of the world’s most celebrated mega-ships simultaneously — Legend of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas — cementing Broward County’s position as one of the most cruise-rich departure points on the planet.
Harmony of the Seas Gets a Major Upgrade Before Returning to Florida
Royal Amplification Underway Right Now
While Legend of the Seas prepares for her debut and Symphony makes plans to relocate, a third headline-worthy ship transformation is happening in a Spanish shipyard at this very moment. Harmony of the Seas entered drydock at Navantia Shipyard in Cadiz, Spain in April 2026 for a multi-million dollar Royal Amplified refurbishment that is among the most comprehensive upgrades ever applied to an Oasis Class vessel.
The refit is adding 105 new staterooms across multiple categories, expanding the onboard casino to become the largest in the fleet, adding the Lime and Coconut pool bar, a Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade, Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse, and refreshing multiple public deck areas. When Harmony completes her drydock and returns to service, she will operate 7-night Caribbean cruises on a regular rotation out of Fort Lauderdale — a further reinforcement of Port Everglades’ extraordinary concentration of top-tier cruise capacity.
The Discovery Class: Florida Headquarters Will Command the Next Generation
Two New Ships Confirmed for 2029 and 2032
Royal Caribbean Group’s most forward-looking announcement of 2026 so far has been the formal confirmation of the Discovery Class — an entirely new category of cruise ship that the company has been quietly developing for years. Two vessels have been formally ordered from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, with the first scheduled for delivery in 2029 and the second in 2032. Options exist for four additional ships.
Unlike the Icon and Oasis Class ships — which are purpose-built megaships designed for homeporting at major ports — the Discovery Class is being conceived as a more agile vessel capable of visiting destinations the company’s largest ships physically cannot access. CEO Jason Liberty described the class as being designed to “bring the world closer to our guests,” while Royal Caribbean International President Michael Bayley called it a “bold new concept” that will deliver experiences “in ways guests have never imagined.”
Critically, these ships will be conceived, developed, marketed, and deployed from Royal Caribbean Group’s Miami headquarters — meaning South Florida will remain the nerve center of the most ambitious shipbuilding program in the cruise industry’s history, extending well into the 2030s.
A Pipeline That Keeps Growing
The company’s confirmed vessel pipeline now spans nearly a decade and includes additional Icon Class ships scheduled for 2027 and 2028, an additional Oasis Class vessel in 2028, and the two Discovery Class ships to follow. With options held for multiple additional vessels beyond those confirmed orders, Royal Caribbean has effectively locked in a growth trajectory through at least 2032 — all of it managed from South Florida.
Royal Caribbean as a Florida Economic Institution
Thousands of Jobs Anchored in South Florida
Royal Caribbean Group’s corporate presence extends well beyond its Port of Miami address. The company operates a Downtown Miami technology hub, a Miramar technology campus, and entertainment studios spread across the South Florida region — housing teams in revenue management, digital product development, marketing, entertainment production, data science, sustainability, and corporate operations. The company regularly recruits from Florida’s universities and currently lists hundreds of open positions across its South Florida locations.
Internship programs running out of the company’s South Florida offices provide pathways for students at Florida International University, the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, and other regional institutions to enter careers in one of the world’s most dynamic hospitality companies.
Fortune-Recognized, Florida-Built
In January 2026, Royal Caribbean Group was named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2026 list — a recognition that reflects the company’s standing among the most respected enterprises in any industry globally, and one that a Florida business community can point to with genuine pride. The recognition places the company alongside a small group of global institutions that have earned sustained confidence from peers, consumers, and investors alike.
Q1 2026 Earnings: April 30 Will Tell the Next Chapter
On April 30, 2026, Royal Caribbean Group will host its first quarter earnings call at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, webcast live from Miami. Analysts tracking the company are projecting approximately $3.20 in diluted earnings per share — an 18 percent increase over the same quarter last year. If those projections prove accurate, or if the company once again exceeds guidance as it did in the most recent four quarters, it will signal that 2026’s momentum is tracking precisely as management forecast.
For Florida, that call is not simply a Wall Street event. It is a quarterly report card on the health of an enterprise that underpins thousands of jobs, generates billions in tourism spending, and shapes the global perception of Miami as a destination city.
What This All Means for Florida Right Now
The pattern across every story described in this release points in a single direction: Royal Caribbean Group is concentrating resources, capital, ships, and strategic energy in Florida at a rate that has no recent parallel.
A $345 million terminal is rising at PortMiami. The world’s newest mega-ship will call Fort Lauderdale home before the year is out. A beloved Oasis Class vessel is being pulled from another state and returned to Florida. A just-upgraded Harmony of the Seas is returning to Port Everglades. A next-generation ship class is being designed to broaden the company’s reach worldwide — managed entirely from its Miami offices.
This is not coincidence. It is the product of a deliberate, long-term corporate strategy that treats South Florida not merely as a departure point, but as the essential foundation of the company’s global ambition.
For Florida’s tourism industry, port authorities, hotel operators, ground transportation companies, restaurant owners, retail merchants, and workforce development programs, the message is clear: the world’s leading cruise company is doubling down on the Sunshine State — and the ripple effects will be felt across every sector of the Florida economy for years to come.
About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is a global vacation industry leader headquartered in Miami, Florida. The company operates 69 ships sailing to more than 1,000 destinations across all seven continents through its three wholly owned brands — Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises — along with a joint venture interest in TUI Cruises. The company is expanding its portfolio of private destinations from three to eight by 2028 through its Perfect Day and Royal Beach Club collections, and will enter the river cruising sector in 2027 through Celebrity River Cruises. Named to the Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies 2026 list and Forbes’ 2026 Best American Companies list, Royal Caribbean Group is guided by its mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly. For more information, visit royalcaribbeangroup.com.
Media and Press Inquiries
Royal Caribbean Group Corporate Communications 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132 Investor Relations: rclinvestor.com Press Center: royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com
PortMiami Public Affairs Office 1015 North America Way, Miami, Florida 33132 portmiami.biz
Port Everglades — Broward County Division of Ports Fort Lauderdale, Florida broward.org/port
This press release was independently researched and written using publicly verified sources including official Royal Caribbean Group earnings releases, PortMiami public statements, Royal Caribbean press center announcements, and cruise industry trade publications. All facts reflect publicly available information current as of April 15, 2026. Financial projections cited reflect analyst consensus estimates and do not constitute investment advice.
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