Port of Palm Beach Moves to Bid Out $43 Million Cruise Upgrades
Commissioners voted to seek bids for longer-ship mooring, a boarding bridge and a parking garage.
The Port of Palm Beach is preparing for a bigger cruise future. On September 24, port commissioners voted to seek competitive bids for a $43 million cruise terminal and berth upgrade. No construction contract has been awarded.
The plan includes mooring dolphins to handle longer ships, a new passenger boarding bridge, a parking garage and added screening and baggage space. The project was identified as a priority in the port's 2023 Master Plan.
Local concerns
Today a single ship, the 1,680-passenger Margaritaville at Sea Paradise, homeports there, operating since April 2022. Officials in the Town of Palm Beach have voiced wariness: Mayor Danielle Moore said added port traffic could harm quality of life on the island, and the town manager noted the master plan does not rule out future dredging of the Lake Worth Inlet.
Sources: Port of Palm Beach; Seatrade Cruise News; Baird Maritime; WPTV; Palm Beach Post.
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