Guide to cruises from Miami

Miami is the world’s busiest cruise port and home to some of Royal Caribbean’s newest and most popular ships. As the hub of the cruise industry, Miami is a convenient port option for those looking for a variety of ship and itinerary options.

Royal Caribbean sails year round from the Port of Miami, officially known as PortMiami, and primarily offers cruises in the Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean. Whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or planning your first cruise vacation, here’s what you need to know when cruising from PortMiami.

How to get to the Port of Miami

Royal Caribbean opened Terminal A, a brand new 170,000 square foot terminal at the Port of Miami, in 2018. Dubbed the “Miami Crown” due to its unique shape, Terminal A is the starting point for all trips. Royal Caribbean cruise lines. outside of Miami.

PortMiami is located on its own island, Dodge Island, just east of downtown Miami. The address for Terminal A in PortMiami is Dodge Island, 1015 N. America Way, Miami, FL 33132.

Whether you’re flying or driving to Miami, be sure to arrive the day before your cruise (or earlier if you plan to explore the area).

Fly to Miami

Passengers arriving by air have two main airport options.

Miami International Airport (MIA) is the closest airport to the Port of Miami. This is the most convenient option for travelers, as the airport is located just a fifteen minute drive from the port.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is another airport option if you are departing from Miami. The airport is about a 45 minute drive from the port, but could be longer depending on traffic conditions.
We recommend that you choose Miami International Airport due to its proximity to the port. Whether arriving or catching your flight home after the cruise, leaving MIA is less of a hassle than traveling to and from Fort Lauderdale.

Since the terminal is located on an island, the easiest way to get from the airport or hotel to the port is through a ridesharing app, like Uber or Lyft, or a taxi.

Itinerary

If you are driving to PortMiami, you have a number of options to choose from.

From the north, by I-95:

Take I-95 South to exit 2D toward I-395 E / Miami Beach.
Join the MacArthur causeway.
Use the left 2 lanes to exit towards the Port of Miami Tunnel and follow signs to your Pier Terminal.

From Miami International Airport (7 miles):

Via the port tunnel: Take the 836 East to the tollbooth.
Continue on FL836 E / I-395 E, then keep right to merge onto MacArthur Causeway.
Use the left 2 lanes to exit towards the Port of Miami Tunnel and follow signs to your Pier Terminal.

Via Port Bridge: Take the 836 East to the tollbooth.
Take the US1 NE 2nd Avenue / Biscayne Boulevard exit, go straight at the first traffic light, then turn right at the second traffic light onto Biscayne Boulevard (US1).
Stay in your left lane and turn left into the Port of Miami onto NE 5th Street.
Cross the bridge and follow the signs to your pier.

From Fort. International Lauderdale (26 miles):

Via the Port Tunnel: Take I-95 South to exit 2D toward I-395 E / Miami Beach.
Join the MacArthur causeway.
Use the left 2 lanes to exit towards the Port of Miami Tunnel and follow signs to your Pier Terminal.

Via Port Bridge: Take I-95 South to Exit 3B, NW 8th Street.
Turn left on 5th Street and go straight to the Port of Miami entrance.
Cross the bridge and follow the signs to your pier.
Take FL-836 E to Miami from departures, NW 21st St and exists 2-3-4

Car park

For those who drive, parking is available at the Port of Miami for $ 25 per day for full-size vehicles. There are multi-level parking garages or open-air parking lots available. Oversized vehicles will incur an additional charge and will only be able to park in Lot 2, which is adjacent to Terminal E.

There are independent lots with lower daily rates located a few kilometers away. However, the official PortMiami parking lot is the most convenient parking option as it is located next to the terminal. No taxi or carpooling is necessary to park in official car parks, and free shuttles are available to quickly take you from the car park to the cruise terminal.

Parking fees are payable by cash, credit card or traveller’s check. It is important to note that debit cards are not accepted as a means of payment.

Where to spend the night before your cruise

One of our most important tips when planning a cruise is to fly the night before your cruise departs. This gives time for any travel delay that may arise while traveling to Miami.

There is no shortage of hotels and places to stay in Miami the day before your cruise. Most passengers will choose to book a room in downtown Miami, many of which have ocean and cruise terminal views.

We’ve written several in-depth hotel reviews in the Miami area, and the readers of RoyalCaribbeanBlog have provided their hotel recommendations as well. Keep in mind that these are recommendations, so we cannot guarantee that your experience will be the same as someone else’s.

Hotel recommendations:

Intercontinental Miami

Holiday Inn Port of Miami-Downtown

DoubleTree by Hilton-Grand Biscayne Bay

Hampton Inn & Suites Miami Midtown

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Miami Airport East (near Miami International Airport)

You can find more hotel recommendations and other tips for your next cruise from our readers on the RoyalCaribbeanBlog message boards.

Several hotels offer a shuttle service to the cruise terminal. However, we recommend vs by using a shuttle service and opting for a taxi or carpooling instead. Using a shuttle service means you are tied to the shuttle schedule instead of your own. Taking an Uber, Lyft, or taxi gives you complete flexibility in how long it takes to get to the terminal.

Which Royal Caribbean ships depart from the Port of Miami

Freedom of the seas calls PortMiami home and offers Caribbean crossings of 2, 3 and 4 nights. Her 2 night crossings visit Perfect Day at CocoCay, while the 3 and 4 night crossings visit both Perfect Day at CocoCay and Nassau. The 4-night crossings also include a day at sea.

Jewel of the seas will sail from Miami until April 2022, offering 5, 6 and 8 night crossings in the Western and Eastern Caribbean, visiting ports such as Cozumel, Puerto Costa Maya, Bimini, Nassau, Belize City, Antigua, Puerto Plata and San Juan.

Oasis of the seas will sail from Miami until June 2022, offering 3, 4 and 7 night crossings at ports in the Western and Eastern Caribbean, including Perfect Day at CocoCay. After the summer season departing from Cape Liberty, he will return to Miami to resume cruises in November 2022.

Oasis of the Seas will also offer a 10-night Eastern Caribbean cruise in January 2023, visiting St. Thomas, Antigua, Barbados, St. Kitts and St. Martin.

Size of the seas will begin sailing from PortMiami in November 2022, offering 9-night crossings of the Southern Caribbean to destinations such as Puerto Plata, St. Croix, St. Kitts, St. Martin, San Juan and Labadee.

Grandeur of the Seas will also offer shorter 5-night Western Caribbean cruises, with most cruises visiting Key West and Labadee.

Sea explorer will begin sailing from Miami at the end of April 2022 and will primarily offer 6 and 8 night cruises in the Western and Southern Caribbean, as well as 5 night and 9 night sailing. There are two options for 6 night cruises. The first will visit Perfect Day in CocoCay, Jamaica and Labadee. The second will visit Perfect Day in CocoCay, Jamaica, and George Town, Grand Cayman.

There are also two options for 8-night Southern Caribbean crossings, visiting Labadee, La Romana, Willemstad, Curaçao, Oranjestad, Aruba and Kralendijk, Bonaire.

Symphony of the Seas has made Miami their home since her inaugural sailing in 2018, and she will continue to sail from Miami in 2022 and 2023. While Symphony of the Seas will offer two 8-night cruises, the majority of her crossings are 7 nights in the Eastern or Western Caribbean. cruises with a stop at Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Depending on navigation, Symphony of the Seas will visit Puerto Costa Maya, Roatan, Cozumel, Saint-Martin, Saint-Thomas, Labadee and San Juan. Each navigation will visit Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Harmony of the seas will depart Miami from March 2023, offering 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises that include a stopover at Perfect Day at CocoCay. Besides CocoCay, Harmony of the Seas will visit Saint-Martin, Saint-Thomas, Costa Maya, Roatan and Cozumel, depending on navigation.

What time should I schedule my return flight after my cruise from Miami?

A mistake some cruise lines make is planning their return flight too early or too late on disembarkation day. Rushing to the airport for an early flight can be stressful, while waiting at the airport all day for a late flight isn’t ideal either.

Here are some things to consider when selecting a return flight:

You are flying from Miami or Fort. Lauderdale?
What time will the ship arrive in port and what time will disembarkation begin?
What time of the day will you be going to the airport?

It can be tempting to choose an early flight on disembarkation day. After all, you can look at your route and see that you arrive in Miami at 6 a.m. However, the time that a ship arrives in port and the time that passengers actually begin to disembark are not the same. A good estimate is to assume that you will get off the ship approximately two hours after the ship’s scheduled arrival time.

Therefore, on a cruise departing from Miami, we recommend that you book a flight no earlier than 11:30 a.m. for flights departing from Miami International Airport and no earlier than 12 noon for flights departing from Fort. . Lauderdale. This will give you a little leeway in the event of an unforeseen delay.