In flash and glitz, 2025 has shaped up as a superlative year for Broward County’s Port Everglades, where U.S. Navy warships visited for “Fleet Week,” new cruise ships from Disney, Celebrity and Princess started calling, and nearby, a new 801-room Omni Hotel stood poised to open, with the cruise lines inquiring about how many room blocks they can book.
Last week, Joseph Morris, the CEO and port director, took a look at the fiscal year’s traffic numbers and for the first time found record volumes for all three of the port’s main lines of business: cruise lines, cargo and energy.
“For all three of our big three to have new records is something that has never happened,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The trio contributes up to 83% of the port’s revenues.
“The trifecta of record-breaking accomplishments reflects the strength of our partnerships and the resilience of our business lines,” Morris said. “The port’s diversified portfolio positions us to adapt, compete and lead as global and regional markets evolve.”
To describe the port as an “engine” of commerce is an understatement. Spanning three cities including Dania Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood and a portion of unincorporated Broward, the port hosts massive cruise ships that sail past high-rise condominium towers, and is adjacent to the Broward County Convention Center and a U.S. Coast Guard station. The Florida East Coast Railway moves goods in and out of the port via a spur connected to the railroad’s main line.
During the annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, superyachts pass through — or are delivered at the port by transport ships — on their way to be displayed at marinas along the Intracoastal Waterway. Occasionally, the port has found itself in the headlines, when the U.S. Coast Guard, in the presence of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, showed off its latest multi-ton catch of illicit cocaine shipments intercepted at sea
But the port’s focus is on building businesses that help grow and serve the local economy.
According to Morris, the latest results place Port Everglades at No. 3 in the state and world in cruise passenger traffic, No. 1 statewide in energy, and No. 2 statewide in cargo. “That’s a pretty unique position for any port,” he said.
The port exports more than it imports, Morris added.
Cruise passengers wait for transportation after disembarking from the Celebrity Ascent docked at Port Everglades on Friday. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Cruising on the rise
The port said it welcomed “a preliminary count of 4,773,873 cruise guests” for a year-over-year increase of 16%. The figure not only broke the port’s previous cruise record “but also solidifies its standing as the third-busiest cruise homeport in the world,” the port said in a statement.
“The cruise business has continued to see tremendous demand and global growth coming out of the pandemic,” Morris told the Sun Sentinel.
He said there was a 39% jump in cruise guests from 2023 to 2024, and another annual bump that led to the 4.7 million passenger count for 2025.
Morris said the chief driver was Disney Cruise Line, which set up shop at the port in late 2023.
“In just under two years with us, they’ve done more than 1.1 million guests,” Morris said.
Three new ships from three operators — Disney Destiny, Celebrity Excel and Star Princess — all became regular visitors this year.
“There’s great value and great experiences, which is what I think people are looking for in vacations these days,” Morris noted, adding that cruise operators have contributed to the demand by investing in their own private island resorts throughout the Caribbean.
The port anticipates more growth next year, when it expects to feature 40 cruise ships from nine lines, plus a daily ferry. A massive Icon-class ship belonging to Royal Caribbean Cruises is scheduled to start calling in 2026.
The Radiance of the Seas, left, and the Liberty of the Seas cruise ships docked at Port Everglades on Friday. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Cruising has been a big upside for a Broward County tourism industry that’s battling competition from other Florida destinations, as well as vacation spots in the Caribbean. Many cruisers arrive in Fort Lauderdale a day or so ahead of their voyages, staying in local hotels and sampling local restaurants and other attractions.
Citing the marketing intelligence platform Placer.AI, Visit Lauderdale, the county marketing and promotion agency, said local hotel visits from Port Everglades were up more than 10% compared with fiscal year 2024.
Cargo heavy on exports
Cargo vessels serving the port and its tenants contributed to another annual best with 1,167,552 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, the standard measurement of cargo container capacity).
“This milestone reflects strengthened global trade relationships, expanded capacity and continued demand across Latin America, the Caribbean and beyond,” the port said in its statement.
Morris said that more exports than imports transited through the port. Tariffs placed on inbound goods by President Donald Trump were not as much of a factor as it is with other ports.
“We have 88% of our trade with the Caribbean and Latin America,” Morris said. “As you look at the countries and commodities being targeted by the tariff announcements, Port Everglades and our customers remained insulated, but not immune.”
Leading exports included used vehicles to the Caribbean islands and Latin America, followed by yachts and motorboats in keeping with Fort Lauderdale’s status as the yachting capital of the United States. The marine exports were followed in volume by computers, motor vehicle parts and computer accessories, medical instruments, textiles, perfumes and perishables.
On the import side, gasoline and petroleum are the No. 1 inbound products. Containerized products include clothing such as sweaters and pullovers. Yachts and motorboats were next, followed by T-shirts, tank tops, medical instruments and miscellaneous aluminum structures.
Cruise passengers wait for transportation after disembarking from the Celebrity Ascent at Port Everglades on Friday. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Energy imports fuel five airports
The port said it “affirmed its status as Florida’s No. 1 petroleum port, moving 131,855,261 barrels of petroleum products.”
It’s a “critical fuel hub” for the state, the port said, “supplying 12 counties and five international airports.” The aviation hubs include Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Palm Beach, Miami, Key West and Southwest Florida International, which serves the Fort Myers area.
The port, Morris pointed out, is the only seaport in the country that is adjacent to an international airport — a short car or bus ride from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.
Officials estimate it contributes approximately $28.1 billion to the local economy annually.
“More than 204,300 Florida jobs are impacted by the port,” officials said in their statement, including more than 12,200 people employed by companies that provide “direct services” there.
A barge motors around the Celebrity Ascent cruise ship at Port Everglades on Friday. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)