Port Tampa Bay inches fourth cruise terminal toward construction

Port Tampa Bay’s planned fourth cruise terminal moved closer to construction after the port’s board authorized negotiations on a contract worth up to $3 million with HDR Engineering to provide architectural and engineering services. The project is intended to expand capacity as demand for cruise vessels exceeds the port’s existing infrastructure capabilities.

The terminal is planned north of Cruise Terminal 6, where the port has begun reclaiming a man-made slip and designing a new bulkhead before constructing the terminal and an adjacent parking garage.

Six firms submitted proposals before the evaluation committee narrowed the field to three finalists and ranked HDR Engineering first after interviews. Bermello, Ajamil & Partners finished second and WJArchitects third.

Port Tampa Bay has previously said the fourth terminal is expected to add more than 200 annual cruise ship calls, generate about $100 million in annual economic impact and accommodate as many as 1 million additional passengers each year, with completion targeted for October 2029. The terminal will operate as a shared-use facility rather than being dedicated to a single cruise line.

Chief Operating Officer Brian Giuliani told Tampa Bay Business & Wealth that the port had already turned away requests for additional cruise ships because its three existing terminals routinely operate at capacity during peak season. He said the port expects approximately 1.8 million cruise passengers and 394 ship calls this year after handling a record 1.66 million passengers in 2025, including a record 51 cruise ship calls in March.