If you’ve ever sailed out of Miami, you know PortMiami is already the busiest cruise port in the world. But on January 8, 2026, Royal Caribbean and Miami-Dade County officials officially broke ground on a project that’s about to make it even more massive—a brand-new, $345 million Cruise Terminal G designed specifically for the next generation of mega-ships.
This isn’t just a renovation. This is a complete tear-down-and-rebuild that will transform how thousands of cruise passengers move through one of the world’s most important cruise hubs. And if you’re planning a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Miami in the next few years, this terminal will likely be where your vacation begins.
According to multiple reports, the groundbreaking ceremony was led by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, PortMiami Director and CEO Hydi Webb, and Royal Caribbean Group Chairman and CEO Jason Liberty. Demolition of the old Terminal G—which first opened back in 1999—began in July 2025, and now construction on the new facility can officially begin.
What Makes This Terminal Special
The new Terminal G is being purpose-built to handle Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class ships—the biggest cruise ships sailing today. We’re talking vessels that can carry up to 7,000 passengers at a time, including Icon of the Seas, Star of the Seas, and the upcoming Legend of the Seas.
This matters because these ships are too big and too technologically advanced for older terminals to handle efficiently. The new terminal will be a single-berth facility, meaning it’s designed for one mega-ship at a time, with every inch of the design focused on getting passengers on and off as smoothly as possible.
The terminal will also be LEED-certified (that’s the green building standard), and it will serve not just Royal Caribbean, but also Celebrity Cruises and Silversea—all part of the Royal Caribbean Group family.
It’s Not Just a Terminal—It’s a Transportation Hub
Here’s where things get interesting. The new Terminal G isn’t just about boarding a ship. It’s being built with a multi-level parking garage and an integrated ground-level intermodal transportation hub.
Translation: better traffic flow, easier passenger drop-offs, and improved public transit connections. If you’ve ever sat in traffic trying to get to PortMiami for a cruise, you know this is a big deal.
The terminal will be located at the westernmost end of the main channel, right next to Virgin Voyages’ dedicated terminal. And this isn’t Royal Caribbean’s only terminal at PortMiami—the cruise line also operates Terminal A, which it built back in 2018.
When Will It Open?
If everything stays on schedule, the new Terminal G is expected to be completed in late 2027. That means by the 2027-2028 cruise season, this state-of-the-art facility should be welcoming passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s biggest and most advanced ships.
For cruisers, this is great news. Better terminals mean smoother embarkation and disembarkation, less time standing in line, and a more modern, comfortable start to your vacation. For Miami, it’s another step in cementing its status as the undisputed ‘Cruise Capital of the World.’
And for Royal Caribbean, it’s a massive investment in infrastructure that signals the cruise line is betting big on Miami as its home base for years to come.
If you’re planning a Royal Caribbean cruise out of Miami in the next few years, keep an eye on this project. By the time 2027 rolls around, your cruise experience might start in the most advanced cruise terminal ever built.
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