At a time when there is no shortage of uncertainty and a raft of challenges – regulatory, financial and operational – facing the broader global maritime industry, one sector seems to be plowing ahead with a bone in its teeth. That’s especially true in the lucrative North American markets where U.S. ports alone in successive years have recorded healthy gains in both port calls and passenger throughput. One state alone – Florida – owns a whopping 61 percent of that market. Indeed, four of the top ten ports hail from Florida and those top 10 ports represent 87 percent of all U.S. passenger embarkations.