It looks like Royal Caribbean will be re-deploying Jewel of the Seas to PortMiami, beginning in January 2019.

Royal Caribbean has begun informing guests that were booked on Jewel of the Seas via email that sailings between January and April 2019 are cancelled.

Guests who were already booked on Jewel of the Seas on one of the affected itineraries are being offered rebooking options, which include onboard credit.  Guests can also opt for a full refund.

On Royal Caribbean's website, Jewel of the Seas shows sailings leaving from Miami in early 2019 to a variety of destinations in the Western and Southern Caribbean.

There is no word yet which, if any, ship will replace Jewel of the Seas in San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

The construction company responsible for building Royal Caribbean's new cruise terminal in PortMiami celebrated a construction milestone by reaching the highest point.

A ceremony was held at the construction site with 250 people in attendance.

“This cruise terminal is far from typical, reflecting the modern design of the ship it will welcome with each sailing,” said Suffolk Vice President Joe Fernandez. “This project is a design-build with a complex concept, and once completed, it will be an iconic building for PortMiami. The Suffolk team has worked closely with a team of local architects and engineers utilizing 3D models and virtual reality to bring the vision of the project to life as efficiently as possible.”

The new state-of-the-art terminal at PortMiami will be home to Allure of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas. Once completed in October 2018, Royal Caribbean will implement the best technologies to deliver a state-of-the-art guest experience.

Royal Caribbean and Miami-Dade County broke ground on the cruise line's brand new world-class cruise terminal, Terminal A at PortMiami.

The new terminal will be the new home of the just announced Symphony of the Seas, as well as sister ship Allure of the Seas.

Terminal A will be completed in October 2018 and be LEED certified and accommodate a 1,300-foot long ship. Terminal A will not be the only addition for Royal Caribbean this year, RCL has added a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters. The Innovation Lab will continue to generate the design of Royal Caribbean’s industry-leading ships.

"This is an exciting collaboration with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal but an iconic state-of-the-art facility," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "Terminal A reinforces our unwavering commitment to our hometown, the city where our company first started nearly 50 years ago."

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Once the new cruise terminal is completed, it is anticipated that Royal Caribbean will generate at least 1.8 million travelers at PortMiami – representing no less than 30 percent of the port’s projected passenger traffic.

Royal Caribbean first announced its intentions to build this new cruise terminal in June 2016.

Royal Caribbean announced that due to Hurricane Matthew, Empress of the Seas will be delayed returning to PortMiami on time.

Due to the storm, PortMiami is planning to close to all marine traffic on Thursday and reopen on Friday. Because of this, Empress of the Seas next sailing will now depart on Friday, October 7, 2016.

Boarding on Friday will take place as soon as Royal Caribbean receives notification from PortMiami authorities.

To compensate for the missed day, Royal Caribbean will provide each stateroom with an onboard credit in the amount of one day based on the cruise fare paid, which will be credited to guests' onboard accounts. As a gesture of goodwill, we will also be providing all sailing guests with a 25% future cruise credit. 

Guests onboard Empress of the Seas have reported, Empress of the Seas will go to Costa Maya with their extra day and arriving back to Miami on Friday.

Royal Caribbean International will continue to closely monitor weather conditions and will provide updates as soon as they become available.

Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas is nearing her arrival to the South Florida area later this year, and Royal Caribbean has posted billboards around Miami to advertise the world's largest cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Victor Sacal shared these photos from around Miami, and we wanted to give our readers a "taste" of the excitement this new ship is bringing.

Last night, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved Royal Caribbean's proposal to build a new cruise terminal at PortMiami.

Royal Caribbean announced plans to build the new terminal last week and the $247 million terminal was unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners.

I am pleased the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved @RoyalCaribbean’s partnership & expansion @PortMiami.

— Carlos A. Gimenez (@MayorGimenez) July 6, 2016

The Miami Herald is reporting that under the agreement, Royal Caribbean will fully finance the construction of the terminal, minus $15 million that the county-owned port will pay for some road work.  Royal Caribbean will pay $7.5 million in rent to the county.

The new Terminal A facility will be able to handle a ship that is 1,300 feet long.  Terminal G, where Royal Caribbean currently operates, can only handle ships that are about 1,000 feet long.

The new cruise terminal will be open in 2018. Royal Caribbean has indicated it will homeport an Oasis-class cruise ship once the new terminal is fully operational.

Royal Caribbean made a major announcement that it will build a new world-class cruise terminal in Miami, Florida and it also confirmed that it will base an Oasis-class cruise ship there.

The new terminal will be a striking addition to PortMiami, and will serve as homeport to Royal Caribbean ships, including a 5,400-passenger Oasis-class ship.

There is no word which Oasis-class ship will be based at this new terminal. Royal Caribbean currently has 3 Oasis-class cruise ships in service, with another two Oasis-class ships on order.  The unnamed new Oasis-class ships are under construction and will enter service in 2018 and 2021.

The first Oasis-class ship, Oasis of the Seas, will be homeported in Port Canaveral beginning in November, while sister ships Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas call Port Everglades home.

“We are truly excited to be working with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal, but a truly iconic building,” said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "This new terminal is a symbol of our commitment to Miami, the city where our company first started almost 50 years ago. We can’t wait to bring an Oasis-class ship to PortMiami."

The new terminal will not be the only addition for Royal Caribbean in the coming year. The company has committed to add a 20,000-square-foot Innovation Lab to its corporate headquarters located at PortMiami. The Innovation Lab will continue to generate Royal Caribbean’s industry-leading, innovative vessels.

Royal Caribbean will design, build and operate a new cruise terminal in Miami, Florida that can handle the largest cruise ships in the world.

The Miami Herald is reporting that the new terminal is the result of a new partnership between Miami-Dade County and Royal Caribbean. The Miami-Dade County Commission must vote on the deal before it becomes final. 

The new terminal, Terminal A, will be able to handle even Oasis-class cruise ships and open in Late 2018. Terminal A would house an angular glass center and a parking garage with about 1,000 parking spaces at the northeastern side of the port, designed by England-based global architecture firm Broadway Malyan. 

Broadway Malyan has been selected as the firm to design the new terminal, after a global competition was held between five of the world's leading architectural firms. The firm was selected because of their creative thinking and cutting-edge design.

Royal Caribbean has not announced yet which of its ships will call Terminal A home.

The dock at the proposed Terminal A would have space for a 1,300-foot long ship (the Oasis ships are nearly 1,200 feet long). Royal Caribbean’s current PortMiami dock at Terminal G only fits ships that are about 1,000 feet long. 

The 170,000-square-foot terminal is nicknamed the ‘Crown of Miami’ because of its distinct shape. The design evokes the points of the symbolic headgear when viewed from the water; the ‘M’ of Miami when viewed from the east or western approaches; and a sense of waves rising or ships passing when viewed from the terminal side. At night, the terminal’s facade will be lit ensuring that the building makes a striking impression and providing a dynamic addition to the PortMiami landscape.

"We are truly excited to be working with Miami-Dade County and PortMiami to create not just another cruise terminal, but a truly iconic building," said Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. "This new terminal is a symbol of our commitment to Miami, the city where our company first started almost 50 years ago. We can’t wait to bring an Oasis-class ship to PortMiami."

"Miami-Dade County is happy to welcome Royal Caribbean’s expansion at PortMiami, and all the economic benefits that come along with it," said Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Mayor. "This public-private partnership will have an estimated economic impact of $500 million and generate approximately 4,000 jobs. Royal Caribbean has been an important part of our world-class community for almost 50 years, and this expansion will once again make PortMiami Royal Caribbean’s largest cruise port in the world. I thank them for their continued investment in and commitment to Miami-Dade."

Royal Caribbean moved one step closer to making Miami its home base for its cruise ships after plans for a new PortMiami cruise terminal got an early approval.

The Miami Herald reports the proposed plan was "embraced" by county commissioners because it means a reversal of the trend Royal Caribbean has had of sending its biggest and best cruise ships to nearby Fort Lauderdale.

Royal Caribbean COO Adam Goldstein spoke to county commissioners on Wednesday, "It’s not that we’re leaving Port Everglades.  But the majority of our business will now shift here to PortMiami for the foreseeable future."

Royal Caribbean's proposed plan will result in a $100+ million cruise terminal.  Port officials estimate that the new berth and terminal will generate about $8 million in new rent to the county, and boost overall cruise traffic by 20 percent with an additional 1 million passengers a year. 

Royal Caribbean is negotiating a deal with Miami-Dade County in which the cruise line will pay for a brand new cruise terminal in the northeast section of PortMiami.

The Miami Herald is quoting county officials, who say a preliminary vote is set for Wednesday.

The berth will be 400 meters long and could fit an Oasis class cruise ship or something larger, according to deputy port director Kevin Lynskey.

The proposed deal would be between 20 and 60 years and there is no indication yet which ships would be coming to the port, but both sides have, "expressed interest in having one of the megaships based in Miami."

The new terminal would be called Terminal A and would be ready to open in late fall 2018.