Miami: instructions for boarding and visiting the city

January 28, 2021

Boarding in Miami: instructions and advice about arriving, where to stay, and how to reach the terminal in one of the busiest ports in the United States.

Called the “Gateway to the Americas” Miami is one of the most exciting and lively historic cities in the world. It is located at the southernmost point on the eastern side of the Florida peninsula. Tourists arrive here from all over to take a cruise vacation, for the beaches, the dining, the unique culture and the nightlife. Miami’s climate is tropical, hot and humid in the summer with frequent rain. In the winter the temperature tends to stay hot, although mornings can be cool.

miami

miami-beach-cruise

Miami

Besides being a world-class destination, Miami is also one of the largest cruise ports in the world. Located on an island in Biscayne Bay, right downtown, and with a waterfront view of the skyscrapers. Many of the terminals have been recently built and feature spectacular architecture. Because of this, it is an amazing feeling to embark here. Many cruise ship companies choose Miami as their port of departure all year round, like Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Others use it as a seasonal stopover while visiting the Caribbean during the winter and spring (we’re talking about Costa, MSC, Norwegian, Oceania and Crystal). The port is also very popular for departures and arrivals of transatlantic cruises to and from Europe during the spring and fall.

miami-cruise-terminal

miami-ncl-terminal

miami-terminal

TRANSPORTATION

Miami is an easy-to-access city for cruisers, because it is one of the best connected cities in the entire Western hemisphere. From the airports to the port or vice versa, you will find all kinds of transportation options. The Miami International Airport is located just 10 miles away (around 20-30 minutes) from the port. The Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is located 28 miles away (45 minutes) and the West Palm Beach Airport is 70 miles away (1 hour 20 minutes).

At your disposal you will find all kinds of transportation services from shuttles, which can be booked directly with the cruise ship companies, to ride share services like Uber or Lyft, as well as taxis and car rentals. For train style transportation there are trains, the Brightline, Tri-rail and the Miami Metro which all arrive downtown, about one mile from the port area, and from there you can use a taxi or ride share.

miami-taxi

PARKING AT THE PORT

Parking at the cruise ship terminal on Dodge Island costs $22 per day, including the departure and arrival day. Alternatives are available through various garages and parking lots downtown. The cost varies from $6.50 to $11.00 per day.

port-of-miami-parking-garage

WHAT TO DO UPON ARRIVAL TO THE PORT

First of all, it is necessary to adhere to your assigned boarding time which was given to you at the time of payment for the cruise. The best thing to do is arrive to the port about 30 minutes prior to this time. This will allow you to find parking (if you are arriving by car), to check your bags and go through the various security and health checkpoints. All passengers must be on board at least one hour before the ship’s planned departure to avoid causing departure delays.

Royal-Caribbean-Cruise-Terminal-3

HOTELS

Because Miami is located on a small island, and from the hotels there is no safe way to arrive on foot to the port, many hotels provide shuttle services for their clients.

The areas closest to the port are Downtown Miami and Brickell and they have a huge array of choices for accommodation from the most opulent like W, Mandarin Oriental and JW Marriott to more affordable options like the Rodeway Inn and many somewhere in the middle like the Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, and other Marriott brand hotels. These neighborhoods have dozens of choices for food and drink as well as practical transportation options to reach other areas of the city or the Miami International Airport.

The favorite hotel of cruise ship passengers is still The Intercontinental Miami, located in front of Bayfront Park and just a little ways from the Bayfront Market and other top local attractions. Be sure to ask for a room with a view of the port, so you can see your ship the morning of your departure day when you wake up.

To the north of the city are the Edgewater and Miami Design districts. These artsy neighborhoods have a variety of hotels that are slightly more affordable compared to downtown with convenient restaurants and bars as well.

Connected to the city and the airport via the MetroRail, to the south you’ll find Coconut Grove, a trendy, upscale area which includes a shopping mall, many restaurants, bars and nightlife as well as a nice selection of hotels.

miami-hotels

miami-hotel

WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN MIAMI

The most world famous place to see is of course South Beach which, with its beaches and glitz, is located about 20 minutes by car from the port. The hotels across from the beach are expensive here, while there are lots more options just a few blocks away. Lincoln Road is the main shopping street in the area and a fun place to eat and explore.

Before or after your cruise, located right after the Port Miami Bridge, you should definitely stop in Bayside. This area offers so many things to do, like visiting the Frost Museum of Science, Bayfront Park, and the Bayside Market. The market has plenty of options for coffee shops, bars, restaurants and stores and is a nice place to see the ships coming in and out of the marina.