PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. (April 12, 2005) – Television’s favorite cruise ship captain actor Gavin MacLeod of “The Love Boat” fame and retired longshoreman Richard Russell were celebrated as Port Everglades’ honorary 50-millionth passengers in a ceremony to mark the cruise port’s milestone.
With nearly 4 million cruise guests expected this year, Port Everglades will surge past a cumulative total of 50 million passengers processed in the 74 years since the first cruise ship docked at Port Everglades in 1931.  To mark the milestone, Broward County Mayor Kristin D. Jacobs, Port Director Ken Krauter and Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) President and CEO Terry Dale joined approximately 100 guests including port employees, business people and well-wishers during a special ceremony at Port Everglades on Friday, April 8.
Port Everglades’ rapid growth to becoming the world’s second busiest cruise port can be put into perspective by considering earlier milestones.  In 1958, the cruise passenger traffic at Port Everglades numbered nearly 15,000. Two years later, in 1960, the number nearly quadrupled to 60,000. A decade later, in 1970, cruise traffic jumped to 160,000. The Port reached its one-million mark in 1987, surpassed its two-million mark three years later in 1990 and its three-million mark in 2001. Last fiscal year ending 2004, Port Everglades arrived at a record 4.1 million cruise passengers.
                        
Today, the same number of passengers travel through Port Everglades on a busy weekend day as did during an entire year just 45 years ago.  
“Through “The Love Boat” series we introduced millions of viewers to the then-unique concept of a sea-going vacation. We were pioneers of the modern cruise industry and helped drive the growth you can see here today,” said MacLeod, who was chosen as an honorary guest because the television series aptly portrayed the romantic leisure side of cruise industry.  “And no wonder Port Everglades is seeing so much growth.  The increase in ships has been remarkable.  Why?  Because cruising offers such an incredible vacation – it’s got to be one of the best travel experiences you could have.”
Russell, who worked at Port Everglades for more than 30 years, is a member of a family that has worked at the Port since the 1930s through today, with his daughter Elaine Lyons serving as a Lead Terminal Service Worker.  During the ceremony, Russell recounted the changes that he has witnessed since coming to Port Everglades in 1953.  He credited his success to his family’s support, hard work and his faith.
Russell, who was selected as an honorary guest to represent the workforce behind the cruise industry, said about his earliest years at Port Everglades:  “At that time, cruise passengers had trunks – not luggage. There was no air conditioning. But the passengers didn’t mind much, they were excited about boarding the ships.”
Mayor Jacobs, who presented awards to MacLeod and Russell, noted that the local community has reaped the economic rewards of the Port’s success.
“The Port provides over 13,000 direct jobs and nearly 26,000 total jobs that cause $761 million of personal income and wages to be spent in this economy. Last year, the Port generated approximately $10.2 billion in waterborne commerce,” Jacobs said.
Port Director Krauter noted that Port Everglades will have to invest in the future to ensure continued growth.
“To keep pace with the ever-expanding new generation of mega-ships, we are investing more than $80 million to renovate cruise passenger terminals to handle more people and their baggage, we are adding parking spaces to accommodate the domestic drive market and we are enhancing passenger safety with state-of-the-art security enhancements,” Krauter said.  “Cruise ships are getting bigger and so must we.  We are making a financial commitment towards preparing for the future because we know the cruise industry will continue to expand in South Florida and the Caribbean.”
Considering today’s passenger counts of more than 4 million annually, MacLeod concluded his presentation by saying: “I’m so pleased to be here today as you celebrate 50 million passengers – and I look forward to joining you when you celebrate your 100 millionth cruise passenger.”
Nearly 50 cruise ships and 20 cruise lines call at Port Everglades, including: Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Discovery Cruise Line, Discovery World Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd, Holland America Line, Imperial Majesty Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruise Line, SeaEscape Cruises, Silversea Cruises, St. Tropez and Windstar Cruises.
The Port's ever-expanding fleet of cruise ships provides guests with an array of cruise vacation choices from the popular Greater Fort Lauderdale area including everything from sampler-size day cruises to around-the-world cruises. Details on the latest cruise offerings are available on Internet at www.broward.org/port.