Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas, the third ship in the line's Icon class, arrives at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale in November to homeport for the season. Broward County's port describes it as the world's largest cruise ship, with room for up to 7,600 guests, and the largest ship ever to sail from the port.

The ship lands at the start of a season that follows a record year. More than 5.38 million cruise guests passed through Port Everglades in the county's 2026 fiscal year, the third year in a row the port has set a new passenger record.

Where Legend of the Seas sails from Fort Lauderdale

Royal Caribbean splits the ship's year between two regions. In summer it sails from Barcelona and Rome to ports in Spain, France and Italy. In winter it sails from Fort Lauderdale on Western and Southern Caribbean itineraries, many of them stopping at Perfect Day at CocoCay, the line's private island in the Bahamas.

The shortest trips on the schedule are three nights. Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day Getaway itinerary from Fort Lauderdale leaves Port Everglades, spends a day at CocoCay, spends a day at sea and returns to Fort Lauderdale.

What is on board

Royal Caribbean organizes the ship into eight neighborhoods: the AquaDome, Central Park, Thrill Island, Chill Island, Surfside, the Royal Promenade, the adults-only Hideaway and the Suite Neighborhood. Central Park is planted with more than 30,000 plants.

Thrill Island holds Category 6, which the line lists as the largest waterpark at sea. The ship has seven pools and ten whirlpools, including Royal Bay, which Royal Caribbean lists as the largest pool at sea. Absolute Zero is an ice-skating arena, and Crown's Edge is a skywalk that sits 154 feet above the ocean.

The rest of the season at the port

Legend of the Seas is one of several new arrivals. Orient Express is bringing its new sailing yacht, which the port describes as the world's largest sailing ship. It carries up to 110 guests and can sail entirely on wind. Crystal's refurbished 606-guest ship also homeports at Port Everglades this season, its first season since a 2025 drydock that refreshed its public areas.

In all, the port expects nine cruise lines and 40 different ships this season: Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Crystal, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Orient Express, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Viking Ocean Cruises. Baleària Caribbean's fast ferry runs from the port as well.

One more ship is already on the calendar. Disney Cruise Line and the port have announced that the Disney Believe will homeport in Fort Lauderdale, with its maiden voyage from Port Everglades on Dec. 18, 2027, offering four- and five-night sailings to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Public bookings for the Disney Believe opened on Oct. 19, 2026.

What changed at the terminals

Cruise Terminal 18, which opened in 2009 for a Royal Caribbean ship debut, has been repainted in ocean blue, and its embarkation hall has been reworked with more open space, new furniture and new artwork in the VIP lounge. The port added more than 850 parking spaces next to Terminal 18, bringing the total to 6,386 spaces across its two multistory garages and surface lots.

The port also commissioned season artwork from South Florida artist Romero Britto, and a large print of it now hangs on the southeast side of the Palm Garage. Behind the scenes, Broward County created a new Cruise Services Division at the port this fall and named Martin Jackson its director.

If you are going

Royal Caribbean lists Legend of the Seas sailings, dates and fares on its website, and Port Everglades publishes a listing of every line's sailings and itineraries for the season on its own site. The port is less than two miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

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