Carnival Cruise Line homeports from coastal cities around the world, but the entire fleet relies on one global corporate headquarters.
For more than 50 years, that location has been in Miami, Florida, and in the current office space in Doral, Florida, west of Miami International Airport and about 12 miles from PortMiami, since 1983.
Now, the cruise line has announced the purchase of a property in the nearby Waterford Business District, south of the airport, for a brand new state-of-the-art headquarters for Carnival Corporation & plc.
While the two locations are just three miles apart, the new facility will be a dramatic improvement in efficiency and convenience for all Carnival-owned cruise brands.
The building will be built from the ground up especially for the entire corporation’s needs, including more than 2,000 shoreside team members for different cruise lines working from the same location for the first time.
Carnival Corporation owns not only Carnival Cruise Line, but also Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and several other lines. When the building is complete, the teams will be working side-by-side.
“Co-locating our North America shoreside team members on a shared campus – designed from the ground up to support how we work and what we do – will foster even greater knowledge sharing, innovation, efficiency and career growth,” said Josh Weinstein, CEO of Carnival Corporation.
At the moment, Princess Cruises is headquartered in Santa Clarita, California, while Holland America Line’s headquarters are in Seattle, Washington.
Together, the cruise lines offer vacations to more than 13 million guests each year. By working more closely together, collaboration will be easier and transitions smoother.
The new campus is slated for completion in 2028 and will include 600,000-700,000 square feet of workspace. Not only will office staff be part of the campus, but it will also include entertainment training and rehearsal space, meeting rooms, and technical infrastructure to meet evolving needs.
Furthermore, Carnival Corporation is emphasizing its commitment to environmental friendliness by ensuring the new campus will have generous green space and will coordinate with the adjacent lagoon.
This relocation is not a surprise, as Carnival Cruise Line listed its current 470,000-square foot office space for sale in April 2024 as real estate prices have skyrocketed. The company has not disclosed whether the current space has been sold, and no details of the purchase of the new property have been released.
Committed to Miami
Carnival Cruise Line – before there was even a Carnival Corporation – got its start in Miami in 1972, and ever since, that commitment to the region has not wavered.
Now, that commitment has been reinforced and is sure to continue for further decades.
“As the world’s largest cruise company, there is no better place for us to be based than Miami—the cruise capital of the world,” said Weinstein. “Plus, with decades of history here, this move enables us to seamlessly build on our success here to continue growing our global operations and deepening our community ties.”
Favorable pro-business leadership in Florida, not to mention the Sunshine State’s booming tourism industry and multiple Florida cruise homeports, make it a natural choice for the cruise corporation’s global headquarters.
“I’m proud to celebrate Carnival Corporation’s decision to expand their headquarters right here in Miami-Dade County. This significant investment deepens their decades-long commitment to our community and reinforces their role as one of our largest private sector employers,” said Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade County Mayor.
“We’re honored to be Carnival Corporation’s home port and proud to stand behind their continued success.”
Read Also: What to Expect When You Go on a Carnival Cruise
Not only will the new headquarters bring together Carnival Corporation’s multiple cruise lines, but will also support local small businesses and provide expanded employment opportunities for Miami-Dade residents.
The diversity of the region, as well as the existing and expanding infrastructure, ensure that the new business campus will be a resounding success.
This will be exciting news for cruise travelers. While they may not visit the shoreside office themselves (though it’s a fun pilgrimage to make!), increased collaboration and communication between the cruise lines ensures new plans and policies all guests will love, no matter which line they prefer.
