Careful logistics let PortMiami handle record 13 ships in a day

Preparations and planning were the framework for smooth sailing when PortMiami seamlessly welcomed a record number on ships on a single day on Saturday in a dress rehearsal for even more ship traffic.

Feb. 8 was a historic day at the port, said Hydi Webb, PortMiami director and CEO, as, for the first time, 10 cruise ships and three cargo ships were at the port at the same time.

Additionally, MSC made its first use of the new cruise terminal on Feb. 8.

Lots of planning, said Ms. Webb, went into this day – not only internal planning, but with many cruise partners, cruise line providers and transportation companies.

The high volume of ships at the port is expected to continue as PortMiami will ultimately be able to welcome 12 cruise ships at once.

“What we had on Saturday [Feb. 8] was sort of like a soft opening for the MSC cruise terminal,” said Ms. Webb. “Once that terminal is complete, it’s going to be able to accommodate three vessels at one time. So ultimately, we’ll be able to have 12 cruise ships docked here at Port of Miami.”

When it comes to transportation logistics, managing and executing a large number of ships in the port has many moving parts.

Preparation to welcome the ships begins early in the morning, said Ms. Webb. The pilots bring in all of the ships, both cruise and cargo. “The pilots started boarding the vessels as early as 12:30 a.m. on Saturday morning to bring in the ships, and the last vessel was alongside at 7 a.m.”

This is called the parade of cruise vessels, said Frederick P. Wong, PortMiami deputy director. “Pretty much every half hour, a pilot boards a cruise vessel and navigates her inside to her berth. It is an amazing feat to see.”

It takes many people to make these logistics come together, said Ms. Webb. Each terminal has about 150 support staff members that include security companies, ground operation companies and the stevedores who load and unload the vessels.

“Each of these vessels pull up to the port to provision for their crews taking on … all of their food, their goods, their drinks,” said Ms. Webb, “and we had over 320 provision trucks that came into the port on Saturday just to provision these 10 cruise ships.”

Taxis and different forms of transportation also play a role.

“We had over 35 bus companies that came to the port to do the transfers to the airport alone,” said Ms. Webb, “The airport and the logistics of the airport, since they fly in and out of Miami, are huge. There’s a … great synergy between us and MIA (Miami International Airport).”

Ms. Webb said she believed the operations went “fantastic” for the historic day at the port.

“We are looking at new MOT (maintenance of traffic) for traffic patterns,” said Ms. Webb. “When we have these big cruise ship days, traffic is always an issue. Our goal is to get the passengers in and out of the port as quickly as possible. So, we’re always looking to refine our best practices.”