Cruise Companies Add Ships to Meet Rising Demand

Side-by-Side Docking Debuts

Three or More Ships Dock Together to Meet Demand

Cruise companies are adding new ships to their fleets to meet rising demand, and they are also finding new ways to accommodate more passengers at popular ports. One way is to dock two or three ships side by side, which allows more passengers to disembark and embark at the same time. This is especially helpful at ports that are experiencing high levels of congestion.

For example, Royal Caribbean recently began docking two of its Oasis-class ships, the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas, side by side at Port Canaveral in Florida. This allows the company to bring in more than 10,000 passengers at once, which is twice the number that could be accommodated if the ships were docked separately.

Other cruise companies are also adopting this strategy. Carnival Cruise Line recently began docking two of its Dream-class ships, the Carnival Dream and the Carnival Magic, side by side at PortMiami in Miami, Florida. Norwegian Cruise Line is also planning to dock two of its Breakaway-class ships, the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Getaway, side by side at PortMiami in 2019.

This new trend is expected to continue as cruise companies look for ways to meet the growing demand for cruises. By docking multiple ships side by side, cruise companies can increase their capacity and reduce congestion at popular ports.