PortMiami Debuts State-of-the-Art Terminal With Biometric Technology

The new facility is now the world's largest cruise terminal.

April 5, 2025

Image: god's-eye view of a cruise ship at port

The new 492,678-square-foot facility is the first in the industry to implement a complete biometric journey. MSC Cruises photo

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PortMiami is now home to the world's largest cruise terminal. The new 492,678-square-foot facility was inaugurated today and is the first in the industry to implement a complete biometric journey with digital identity verification, making it feasible to process up to 36,000 passengers daily.

The new terminal is the first in the world to be able to welcome three cruise ships simultaneously. It will serve MSC Cruises’ and Explora Journeys’ ships, including MSC Cruises’ new flagship, MSC World America, which sets sail for the Caribbean next week.

Guests can check in for their cruise online using the MSC for Me app or the MSC Cruises website. Once there, they can upload travel documents and prepare in advance for biometric processing. They can also reserve one of the 2,400 parking spaces at the facility's six-level garage.

Guests who opt into the biometric journey will be able to scan their passports and look at the camera at one of the terminal’s 18 biometric face pods. Once inside, they'll be greeted by art commissioned through the Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places program. The terminal's high-tech approach extends to its art, too: Among the most impressive works is a 10,816-square-foot digitally projected installation using real-time NOAA oceanic data to display tides, currents, and weather patterns.

Before rejoining Miami New Times as culture editor in 2025, Celia Almeida freelanced for the paper starting in 2016, then came aboard as a staff editor in 2018. Beginning in late 2019, she served as digital editor for Ink. Her writing has been featured in Billboard, Consequence, Paper, and Rolling Stone, among other outlets.

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