PortMiami Tops 10 Million Passengers, Setting Annual Record in 2026

PortMiami welcomed its 10 millionth cruise passenger on September 14, 2026, marking the highest annual volume in the port's history. The figure surpassed the previous record of 8,564,225 passengers set in fiscal year 2025, and the milestone was reached with two weeks still remaining before the close of fiscal year 2026, scheduled for September 30.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called the achievement an extraordinary milestone that confirms the port's role as a global gateway and a driver of job creation, tourism and growth for local businesses. Meanwhile, PortMiami Director and CEO Jonathan Daniels attributed the result to the joint efforts of the port's team and its cruise industry partners, noting that the milestone reflects the port's focus on innovation, efficiency and the ongoing modernization of its infrastructure to sustain future growth.

The port attributed much of the achievement to its modern infrastructure, which includes recently completed terminals capable of accommodating the world's largest cruise ships. These facilities were designed to improve passenger flow and streamline embarkation and disembarkation processes, factors that, according to sources, underpinned the sustained traffic growth recorded during the year.

The record allows PortMiami to reclaim the title of the world's busiest cruise port, which it had lost in 2025 to Port Canaveral. That year, the Central Florida port had received 8,602,047 passengers, or 37,822 more cruise passengers than PortMiami, according to Cruise Critic figures. Port Canaveral projects reaching 9 million passengers in fiscal year 2026, which is also set to close on September 30.

The rapid growth has also caused traffic problems at the port's access points, compounded by ongoing road construction and the large number of ships operating simultaneously, to the point that Carnival warned its passengers of longer-than-usual delays. Among the solutions under consideration is a nonstop rail link project between Miami International Airport and PortMiami, estimated to cost between $600 million and $800 million, in addition to the I-395 bridge project, valued at $840 million, which will not be completed until 2029.