World’s Biggest Cruise Ships Coming to Gigantic New PortMiami Terminal

Royal Caribbean Cruises and Miami-Dade County announced a deal yesterday night to bring Royal's Oasis class cruise ships, currently the world's largest, to the Port of Miami along with a dramatic and huge new Terminal A to accommodate them, reports the Miami Herald. Designed by international architecture firm Broadway Malyan, the crown-shaped terminal (they're calling it the 'Crown of Miami.' We're sensing a theme here.) has two jaunty wings that will enclose soaring interior spaces. Inside, two propellers spinning overhead will greet passengers as they enter the concourse. The dock will have space for vessels up to 1,300 feet in size (Oasis class ships are nearly 1,200 feet long) and a parking garage will contain space for 1,000 cars.

Paid for almost entirely by Royal Caribbean (the county is pitching in $15 million for new roads approaching the $247 million terminal), the new terminal is predicted to have a vast economic impact, indirectly creating a whopping 4,000 new jobs and injecting $500 million annually into the local economy. It will also, finally, bring the world's biggest cruise ships back to the world's biggest cruise port.

The Miami-Dade County Commission must vote on the deal before it becomes final. Once that happens, the new terminal should be ready for business by 2018.