Port Canaveral welcomed the world’s largest cruise ship on November 8, 2018 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 U.S. port of call,” said 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.”

Symphony is Royal Caribbean’s 25th ship in its fleet and its fourth Oasis-class vessel. It joins the two-year old Harmony of the Seas, the Oasis of the Seas, which debuted in 2009 and currently is homeported at Port Canaveral, and the Allure of the Seas, which began service in 2010. The 18-deck Symphony outweighs the Harmony, the previous record holder, by about 1,000 gross tons and has more cabins than the Harmony.

Port Canaveral, www.portcanaveral.com