John E Walsh News

Canaveral Port Authority Commissioners today unanimously selected shipping line executive Capt. John W. Murray as the next chief executive officer of Port Canaveral. Murray currently is the President and CEO of Hapag-Lloyd USA, LLC, a global liner shipping company in Tampa that operates about 150 modern container ships and transports more than five million containers per year. “We believe our port and our community will be well served having Capt. Murray at the helm,” said Commission Chairman Jerry Allender. Allender said he hopes to have a negotiated contract with Murray on this month’s Commission meeting agenda scheduled for January 20. Outgoing CEO John E. Walsh’s last day is January 21. If necessary, Port Canaveral CFO Rodger Rees will step into the CEO role in the interim.

Port Canaveral will homeport Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) largest ship and currently the third largest in the world—the Norwegian Epic—starting in November 2016, offering seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, as well as three- and four-day vacations to the Bahamas in 2017. “As a regular port of call for NCL ships, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to homeport the Norwegian Epic and welcome NCL guests into our community,” said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh.

Starting in February 2016, Carnival Cruise Line passengers sailing from Port Canaveral will have the larger Carnival Victory as their vessel for shorter vacations and in December 2016, those seeking weeklong Caribbean cruises will have the new Carnival Magic as an option. Carnival Victory will replace the Sensation, providing the three-and-four-day Bahamas itinerary with a 34-percent larger vessel that offers a greater variety of on-board features and amenities, including more than 500 balcony staterooms. In addition, Carnival Magic will reposition to Canaveral, giving access to the line’s newest class of ship and features such as a WaterWorks aqua park, Cucina del Capitano family-style Italian restaurant and SportSquare outdoor recreation area.

With $617 million in capital projects planned and under way for expansion of its cruise and cargo operations moving forward, Canaveral Port Authority has received Fitch’s  ‘A’ rating for $26.9 million of outstanding revenue bonds, series 2005 and 2006 A&B, and a rating of ‘stable’ for  all Port bonds. Fitch attributed the rating affirmation to Port Canaveral’s established operating history, recent sustained tourism-related revenue growth and the corresponding favorable operating contracts and cost management, aggressive, but flexible, capital program and no anticipated borrowing.

Port Canaveral launched a new website this week at www.portcanaveral.com, the Canaveral Port Authority announced today. “Our goal across all business lines is to provide the best experience possible and this upgrade to our website helps us achieve that goal because our website often is the first contact the public has with us,” said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh. “The changes we have made to our website better serve our customers, visitors, and the community. The Canaveral Port Authority partnered with Bayshore Solutions of Tampa…

Starting November 15, 2014, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas begins homeporting at Port Canaveral through March 2015, offering a new nine-night itinerary that reaches further into the southern Caribbean with stops in Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, and Haiti. Other itinerary options include four-, five-, and eight-night Caribbean cruises. “We are pleased that Royal Caribbean continues to provide innovative ships and diverse itineraries for our community, Orlando and other central Florida residents and visitors,” said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh.

Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded Canaveral Port Authority’s $30.2 million in outstanding revenue bonds to A2 from A3 and rated its financial outlook stable. The upgrade was attributed to low leverage, cruise growth, stable finances and proactive capital plan management. Port Canaveral’s five-year capital plan totals nearly $600 million, which will be financed with a combination of grants, matching funds, cash flow and unrestricted cash balances. The major current project is a new cruise terminal for Royal Caribbean, which is paying half of the $105 million total cost.

Port Canaveral Scrap Terminal LLC (PCST), a bulk ferrous scrap exporter, has signed a lease with the Canaveral Port Authority to operate a terminal in the north cargo area at Port Canaveral. The one-year agreement calls for PCST to lease four acres with a 100,000-ton minimal annual guarantee. Vessel calls are anticipated at eight per year with an average of 35,000 tons per call. Local stevedore Ambassador Services Inc. (ASI) will handle the loading operations. “This company helps us with diversification of our cargo mix,” according to Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh. The United States recycles 150 million metric tons of scrap materials annually…

Canaveral Port Authority will utilize the $1.6 million awarded from 2014 Port Security Grant Funding for a new port-wide cyber-security program, software that integrates existing security systems and resources into a single uniformed platform and CCTV expansion into new cargo facilities. With $225,000 of the funding, the Port Authority will initiate a phased comprehensive plan to assess, develop and implement a Port-wide cyber security program. Phase one will include identifying needed resources, including personnel, equipment and software. The Port Authority will utilize $728,438 toward deployment of Maritime Situation Awareness and Response software.

Further bolstering its position as Central Florida's largest cruise operator, Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Liberty departed on its inaugural voyage from Port Canaveral, Fla., this weekend, becoming the line's third year-round ship sailing from the Space Coast. With the arrival of Carnival Liberty, Carnival will increase its annual passenger count from Port Canaveral to 600,000 – more than any other cruise operator. On Carnival Liberty's new schedule from Port Canaveral, vacationers can select from a wide variety of five-, seven- and eight-day Caribbean itineraries conveniently departing from the Central Florida while enjoying a wide range of dining, bar and entertainment innovations that were added as part of the line's Fun Ship 2.0 product enhancement program.

The Canaveral Harbor Inlet Sand Bypass Project has earned the top state ranking for 2014/15 inlet management funding. As a result, Port Canaveral is expected to receive $100,500 in grant funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for beach renourishment. To date, Port Canaveral has spent more than $2 million on the sand bypass and related beach restoration projects, leveraging more than $2.2M in additional state funds and more than $45 million from the US Army Corps of Engineers. According to Dr. William Stronge, every $1 spent on beach projects generated almost $48 in sales tax revenue last year. "We recognize the importance of our beaches to Brevard County and the state's economy," said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh.

Dispute remains over who pays for maintenance costs for federal channel. The $35 million harbor widening and deepening project at Port Canaveral to allow larger ships greater safety margins for sailing in and out of the port is scheduled to begin next month with completion in November 2014. The project to widen Port Canaveral’s 400-feet wide harbor by 100 feet and deepen the entrance by two feet to 46 feet cleared the final two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting hurdles last week.

In an unanimous vote, Port Canaveral Commissioners have approved building a new $80-85 million cruise terminal and 1.000-vehicle parking facility that is scheduled to open in November 2014. The 185,000-square-foot terminal will be located on the south side of the harbor in the Cove restaurant and retail area. “Couple this month’s opening of the new Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral with the restaurants, retail, and entertainment currently available, then add in our plans for additional Cove expansion, and the passengers and crew who will sail from this new terminal will have destination options available for the first time within walking distance of their ship,” said Port Canaveral CEO John E. Walsh.

Florida Governor Rick Scott will serve as the keynote speaker on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at the American Association of Port Authority’s (AAPA) 102nd Annual Convention and Expo in Orlando, Fla., hosted by the Canaveral Port Authority. He will discuss the importance of investing in ports and port-related infrastructure during a luncheon presentation at the AAPA convention. Gov. Scott is a strong proponent for ports, particularly Florida’s 14 deepwater seaports. In his 2013 State of the State address in March…

Oct. 13-17 conference to feature keynote addresses from USDOT’s Deputy Secretary, Canada’s U.S. Ambassador and Disney Cruise Line’s President. For the first time in its 60-year history, the Canaveral Port Authority will serve as host of the American Association of Port Authorities’ (AAPA) annual convention, which takes place Oct. 13-17. And, for the first time in AAPA’s 102-year history, the business meetings for its international conference will be split between two locations: Port Canaveral, Fla.—one of the world’s busiest cruise ports with growing cargo; and Orlando, Fla.—one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions.