In a first for a North American port, two ATB tug-barges provided ship-to-ship LNG refueling for two cruise ships in Port Canaveral earlier this week.
According to the Canaveral Port Authority, the operation involved two ships homeported at the port: Royal Caribbean International’s Utopia of the Seas and Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wish.
The LNG-powered vessels were bunkered by the sister barges Clean Canaveral and Clean Everglades while docked at their cruise terminals, said Port Canaveral.
JAX LNG, a joint venture between Pivotal LNG and Seaside LNG, supplied the green fuel, the port authority added in a social media post.
In 2021, Port Canaveral became the first cruise port in the United States capable of handling LNG operations.
The first ship to use the cleaner-burning fuel in the port was Carnival Cruise Line’s new Mardi Gras, which continues to sail from Central Florida.
In addition to the Utopia of the Seas, the Disney Wish and the Mardi Gras, the new Disney Treasure is also set to bunker LNG in Port Canaveral starting in December.
In mid-2025, Royal Caribbean International’s new Star of the Seas is also set to join the lineup of LNG-powered ships operating out of the homeport.
Across North America, other cruise ports that supply LNG on a regular basis include Miami and Galveston.
Ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operations were also carried out in Port Everglades with the arrival of Silversea’s Silver Nova.
Fort Lauderdale is further expanding its LNG operations later this year with the debut of the new Sun Princess.
Currently operating in the Mediterranean, the new Princess Cruises ship is scheduled to sail from the homeport on a regular basis starting in October.
Additional LNG-powered ships soon arriving in North America include Silversea’s Silver Ray, MSC Cruises’ MSC World America, Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure and Princess Cruises’ Star Princess.