The afternoon of September 20, 2024, proved to be especially hectic at the world’s busiest cruise port.
At around 5:45 p.m. local time, a container in the Port of Miami caught fire under still undetermined circumstances. The cause is currently being investigated.
Videos taken by passengers aboard Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas as it departed the port captured the incident, showing thick black smoke and the container completely engulfed in flames.
Fortunately, emergency responders arrived swiftly and managed to extinguish the fire without delay. Cruise operations continued unaffected, including for MSC Magnifica and Carnival Conquest, which were also at the port, and there were no reported injuries.
Although the busy port, situated on Dodge Island in Biscayne Bay, may have some damage to assess, initial reports suggest that the docks and cruise terminals escaped major harm, despite the fire coming alarmingly close.
As of the time of this report, PortMiami has yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident or any potential damages.
Footage from witnesses indicated that the fire was alarmingly near the new terminal of MSC Cruises, which is the tenth terminal at this bustling port.
MSC Group has invested roughly $350 million into constructing what will be the largest cruise terminal in North America upon its completion.
The extensive project has been in development since 2022 and is nearing completion, with expectations for a grand opening by the end of 2024. Any fire damage at this stage would have been catastrophic, but thankfully, that was averted.
It Could Have Been Worse
Fortunately, the fire was contained quickly with minimal impact reported on the surrounding areas of the cruise port. Given that this is the world’s busiest cruise port, the outcome could have been significantly more severe.
PortMiami serves over 22 cruise lines with a fleet of 55 ships, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises among others.
Each year, the port welcomes more than seven million cruise passengers, and it achieved a record-breaking 7,299,294 cruisers in 2023, thanks to its nearly completed ten state-of-the-art cruise terminals.
This incident was not the first to threaten operations at the Florida-based port this year. On February 23, 2024, a seaplane crashed within PortMiami.
A seaplane, a single-engine Cessna 208, flipped over while attempting to land at the Miami Seaplane Base situated on Watson Island at the western end of the cruise port’s main channel. The plane came to rest partially submerged near the cruise terminals around 1:40 p.m.
Quick action by the Miami-Dade Police Harbor Patrol ensured that all seven passengers aboard were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported.
Read Also: Miami Cruise Port Guide: Terminals, Transportation and More
This was yet another close call where cruise ships remained unaffected apart from facing increased port traffic due to the crash.
The five ships present at the port that day, including Freedom of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Norwegian Pearl, MSC Magnifica, and Carnival Conquest, were able to proceed with their scheduled departures without any delays.
