In 2022, Royal Caribbean purchased a stretch of coastline in a tiny seaside town near a popular tourist destination with plans to build a cruise port that can accommodate one of its giant Oasis-class cruise ships.
Royal Caribbean already uses a major cruise port nearby, but it’s one of the busiest in the world. A new regional port would allow the cruise line to expand its capacity in one of the world’s most sought-after destinations.
Related: Key port backpedals on cruise ban, Royal Caribbean still blocked
For local residents, however, the prospect of a large cruise port taking over their quiet town and its coastal environment is alarming. Local groups have been fighting against development plans proposed for the area since 2010, but it appears that Royal Caribbean’s project is now on the way to advancing further than those that came before it.
Although the project has faced delays and protests, according to The Guardian and local media reports, it appears to be moving ahead.
If all goes according to plan, Royal Caribbean could begin using the port as early as November, initially anchoring off the coast and bringing passengers to shore via tender boats until the cruise ship pier is ready.
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Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ship Allure of the Seas will sail in Italy this summer.
Image source: Dan Kline/Come Cruise With Me
New Royal Caribbean cruise port to be built near Rome
Just 20 miles from Rome, the small village of Isola Sacra in Fiumicino is set to become the home of a new cruise port called Fiumicino Waterfront. Royal Caribbean is partnering with British investment fund Icon Infrastructure on the project.
Despite delays and continued protests, the Fiumicino cruise port project was included in the local government’s program of works for the Catholic jubilee year, a celebration that began on Dec. 24, 2024, and will continue through Jan. 6, 2026.
Although construction has not yet begun, a 500-meter-long concrete wall went up at the site on March 4, according to RomaToday. The barrier cut off access to the beach and baffled locals who received no notice that construction had been approved to commence. RomaToday reports that Fiumicino citizens are demanding clarification on the wall and on the status of the port project.
Related: Key Royal Caribbean destination hurt by massive budget cuts
Concerned citizens worry about the cruise port’s potential impacts on the marine environment and potential to cause coastal erosion, as well as the traffic and pollution that will result from cruise passengers traveling to and from Rome.
While local leaders believe the cruise port will create jobs and bring tourism to Fiumicino, opponents of the port say cruise passengers will only pass through the town on their way to visit Rome.
Fiumicino Waterfront port project aims to meet a need in a responsible way
A spokesperson for Fiumicino Waterfront told The Guardian that the port will “provide a solution for a real need” for more berths for cruise ships in Italy. According to the company, the port infrastructure in Lazio, the region around Rome, “lags behind in quality and quantity of offerings compared with its main competitor, the Barcelona terminal.”
Related: Royal Caribbean has bad port news for passengers
Royal Caribbean has plans to homeport ships in both Rome’s Civitavecchia cruise port and Barcelona in the summer of 2026. The new Fiumicino Waterfront cruise port could provide even more opportunities for the cruise line to expand its itinerary options in Europe in the future.
This doesn’t mean Royal Caribbean would turn the Fiumicino port into a bustling cruise hub like Civitavecchia or Barcelona, however. The port spokesperson told The Guardian that only one cruise ship at a time would dock at the port and that ships would connect to onshore power, which allows them to turn off their engines in port to reduce harmful emissions and protect air quality around the port.
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