Port Canaveral moved one step closer to becoming the busiest cruise port in the world by opening a new cruise terminal Saturday.

Cruise Terminal One will be able to handle the world’s largest cruise ships. Royal Caribbean will be the primary cruise line to use the new terminal.

Demand from the cruise lines forced Ivey’s Construction to build the nearly 190,000-square-foot terminal in 10 months.

“Our target is for you to leave your car and to have your feet standing on the ship in six to eight minutes," said Rocky Johnson, vice president of Ivey’s Construction. "So I think we can do that, we’ve walked it, oh, about a thousand times.”

The first ship to berth at Cruise Terminal 1 is Explorer of the Seas.

It’s not one of Royal Caribbean’s largest, but port leaders hope the cruise line will consider eventually making one of its biggest ships home-based in Brevard County.

 “We’ve now provided the facilities for them to make those moves as they do their itinerary planning, and we’re hopeful that they will see value here in Port Canaveral,” said Port Canaveral CEO John Walsh.

Quantum of the Seas, the world’s third largest cruise ship will make port of call stops and use the new cruise terminal.

Port Canaveral will start early next year discussing the construction of another large cruise terminal.

Walsh expects to surpass Miami as the world’s busiest cruise port in 2018 or 2019.