Florida’s cruise ports rank among the top ports in the world. In this guide, we will cover all the cruise ports in Florida to help you plan your journey to visit extraordinary destinations.
The busiest cruise ports in the world are all located in Florida. If you are taking a Caribbean cruise, your sailing will likely depart from one of these ports.
In addition to being departure points for Caribbean cruises, Florida cruise ports host ships bound for other destinations, such as South America or Europe, via the Transatlantic route.
If you want to save money, save time, and avoid frustration when cruising out of Florida ports, read on for the basics and some useful information about all the ports in Florida.
All the Cruise Ports in Florida
There are an astounding six cruise ports located in Florida. Here is a summary of every cruise port:
- Port Everglades, situated in Fort Lauderdale
- Port of Miami, situated in, you guessed it, Miami
- Port Tampa Bay, situated in Tampa
- Port Canaveral, situated in Orlando
- Port of Palm Beach, situated in Palm Beach
- Jaxport, situated in Jacksonville
Each and every cruise port in Florida has its fair share of traffic. Port Canaveral in Orlando, Port of Miami, and Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale are the three Florida cruise ports that accommodate the most passengers year-round.
Altogether, these three cruise terminals see over 12 million passengers annually.
Where to Fly to When Going To a Cruise Port in Florida
Within an hour of each of these Florida cruise ports, there is at least one major airport. However, the most logical airport may not be the best choice for starting your cruise.
It may be cheaper to fly to a nearby city and drive the rest of the way if you live in a place where air tickets are expensive. You can usually find various affordable shuttle services to cover the distance.
Renting a car or taking a car service may still result in overall fewer travel costs if you investigate options at other Florida airports.
Additionally, you may find that travel times are more convenient if you look at some options at other Florida airports that better accommodate your schedule.
Make sure you make sound arrangements beforehand for transport from the airport to the other city if you do decide to fly to an alternative airport for your cruise vacation.
Getting to Miami Cruise Port
Miami cruise port is the world’s busiest cruise port, handling over five million passengers annually. It truly lives up to its name as the “Cruise Capital of the World.”
Ships that port at Miami Cruise Port often travel to Latin American destinations and many Caribbean treaures in addition to Europe.
From Miami International Airport, the traveling distance to the Miami cruise port averages around ten miles and takes approximately 18 minutes to complete.
From the Fort Lauderdale airport, you will travel a distance of 30 miles to get to the Miami cruise port, and from the Orlando airport to the Port of Miami, you will travel around 230 miles.
Getting to Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port
Driving from Fort Lauderdale Airport to Port Everglades is 6 miles, and driving from Miami Airport to Port Everglades averages 31 miles.
From Orlando airport to Fort Lauderdale, you will drive three hours to cover a distance of 215 miles.
Getting to Port Canaveral
To get to Port Canaveral from Orlando airport, you will drive around 46 miles. There are three other airports close to Port Canaveral, namely Orlando Sanford International Airport, which is 64 miles away; Daytona Beach International Airport, which is 74 miles away; and Melbourne International Airport, which is 26 miles away and also the closest airport to Port Canaveral.
There is a distance of 220 miles between Port Canaveral and Miami Airport and 196 miles between Ford Lauderdale and Port Canaveral.
From Tampa International Airport, you will drive approximately 136 miles to get to Port Canaveral.
Getting to Port Tampa Bay
The Tampa cruise terminal handles fewer passengers than the other ports. The biggest ships are unable to embark at this port because of logistical issues.
Nevertheless, Tampa cruise port exceeded a million passengers in 2018.
Getting to the Tampa Bay cruise port from Tampa Airport will take about 20 minutes, as it covers a distance of 10 miles. Coming from Orlando National Airport, it is an 86-mile drive to Port Tampa Bay.
If you’re going to the two other major Florida cruise ports, a flight to Tampa doesn’t truly have any benefits unless you’re really interested in seeing more of the state.
It takes around 4 hours to get from Tampa International Airport to Port Everglades. To get from Tampa to Miami, it takes about 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Other Florida Cruise Ports
The other two cruise ports in Florida are much smaller and don’t offer as many services as the major cruise ports.
Before the pandemic hit, there was one cruise ship of Carnival Cruise lines sailing from the cruise port in Jacksonville, and there were two shorter cruises of Bahamas Paradise Cruise Lines that sailed from the cruise port in Palm Beach to the Bahamas.
There are about 12 miles between the cruise port in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Airport. Orlando provides the closest airport as an alternative, which is over 2 hours from the cruise port in Jacksonville.
Similarly, Palm Beach cruise port is about 12 miles away from the International Airport in Palm Beach. However, this airport also provides a close route to Miami since it lies further South. From Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville cruise port, it would be a 10-minute drive.
Cruise Lines That Sail From Cruise Ports in Florida
The focus of this list is on major cruise lines whose cruise ships homeport at parts of the year from one of the mentioned locations.
In other words, passengers may begin their cruise journey by disembarking at the port, in contrast to cruise ships that temporarily stop at these cruise ports once the ship has already set sail.
For example, there are 11 cruise lines that have cruise ships that port from Port Miami some parts of the year, as opposed to 8 other cruise lines whose ships stop at Port Miami as part of their itineraries.
Port Everglades
Even though Port Everglades caters to the second-largest number of cruise lines in Florida, it plays host to the largest number of cruise ships. 43 ships belonging to 9 different cruise lines port from Port Everglades:
- Celebrity Cruises (6 ships, including Edge, Apex, Reflection, Equinox, Summit, and Silhouette, sail to the Panama Canal, Bahamas, Transatlantic crossing, and the Bahamas.)
- Carnival Cruise Line (3 ships, including Breeze, Sunrise, and Magic, sail to Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Southern-, Eastern-, and Western Caribbean.)
- Crystal Cruises (2 ships, including Symphony and Serenity, sail to South America and the Caribbean.)
- Costa Cruise Line (Only the Deliziosa sails to Port Everglades and includes sailing trips to the Caribbean and several transatlantic crossings.)
- Holland America Line (10 ships, including Eurodam, Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Veendam, Rotterdam, Oosterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, and Zuiderdam, sails to the Caribbean, Africa, Mexico, New England, South and Central America, world cruises, and transatlantic crossings.)
- Cunard Cruises (2 ships, including Victoria and Elizabeth, sail to South America, the Panama Canal, and several Transatlantic and world cruises.)
- Silversea Cruises (3 ships, including Wind, Whisper, and Spirit, sail to South America, the Caribbean, and world and Transatlantic cruises.)
- Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line (7 ships, including Vision, Majesty, Independence, Oasis, Allure, Serenade, and Adventure, sail to the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas.)
- Princess Cruises (9 ships, including Sky Princess, Caribbean Princess, Pacific Princess, Regal Princess, Enchanted Princess, Crown Princess, Island Princess, Emerald Princess, and Coral Princess, sail to South and Central America, Panama Canal, Mexico, the Caribbean, New England, Antarctica, and several world and Transatlantic cruises.)
Port Miami
There are 39 ships from 11 different cruise lines that sail out of Port Miami, Florida’s most active cruise port, and is situated in Biscayne Bay on Dodge Island:
- Carnival Cruise Line (Cruise ships include Miracle, Magic, Horizon, Sensation, Conquest, and Victory. Sailing itineraries include ships going to the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas, Southern Caribbean, Western Caribbean, and Panama Canal.)
- Azamara Club Cruises (Only the Azamara Journey ports from Port Miami and includes sailing itineraries to the Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, and Panama Canal.)
- Disney Cruise Line (Only Disney Magic ports from Port Miami and includes sailing itineraries like a Transatlantic crossing and the Bahamas.)
- Celebrity Cruises (Only Celebrity Infinity ports from Port Mimi and includes sailing itineraries to Key West, Bahamas, Panama Canal, a Transatlantic crossing, and the Western Caribbean.)
- MSC Cruises (3 ships, including Seaside, Armonia, and Divina, sail to the Western Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Southern Caribbean, a Transatlantic crossing, and South and Central America.)
- Oceania Cruises (4 ships, including Riviera, Sirena, Insignia, and Regatta, sail to the Southern-, Eastern-, and the Western Caribbean, Panama Canal, Bermuda, French Polynesia, and South America.)
- Norwegian Cruise Line (7 ships, including Sky, Jade, Star, Escape, Bliss, Getaway, and Breakaway, include sailing itineraries to the Southern-, Eastern-, and the Western Caribbean, Bahamas, a Transatlantic crossing, and Panama canal.)
- Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line (7 of Royal Caribbean’s ships, including Navigator, Allure, Oasis, Empress, Symphony, Explorer, and Vision, include sailing itineraries to Southern-, Eastern-, and Western Caribbean destinations, Bahamas, and Panama Canal.)
- Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line (4 ships, including Voyager, Explorer, Navigator, and Mariner, include sailing itineraries to the Eastern- and Western Caribbean, South America, Panama Canal, and a Transatlantic crossing.)
- Viking Cruise Line (3 ships, including Sky, Sun, and Star, include sailing itineraries to South America, Panama Canal, and a Transatlantic crossing.)
- Seabourn Cruise Line (2 ships, including Sojourn and Quest, sail to the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, various world cruises and Transatlantic crossings, and South America.)
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is the ideal option if you want to explore more of Cocoa Beach or Orlando.
- Disney Cruise Line (3 ships, including Fantasy, Dream, and Wonder, sail to the Eastern- and Western Caribbean and the Bahamas.)
- Carnival Cruise Line (5 ships, including Elation, Breeze, Mardi Gras, Radiance, and Liberty, including sailing itineraries to Bermuda, Bahamas, Eastern-, Southern-, and the Western Caribbean.)
- Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line (2 ships, including Mariner and Harmony, sail to the Eastern- and Western Caribbean and the Bahamas.)
- Norwegian Cruise Line (3 ships, including Sun, Epic, and Breakaway, sail to the Eastern- and Western Caribbean and the Bahamas.)
Port Tampa Bay
- Norwegian Cruise Line (Only the Pearl ports at Tampa Bay and sails to the Southern-, Eastern-, and the Western Caribbean and the Panama Canal.)
- Carnival Cruise Lines (3 ships, including Miracles, Legend, and Paradise, sail to the Western Caribbean and Panama Canal.)
- Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line (2 ships, including Rhapsody and Brilliance, sail to the Western Caribbean and Bahamas and include Transatlantic crossings.
Port of Palm Beach
- Bahama Paradise Cruise line (only Grand Celebration ports at Palm Beach and sails to the Bahamas.)
Jaxport
- Carnival Cruise Line (Only Ecstasy ports at Jaxport and sails to the Bahamas.)
Now that you have a better understanding of what to expect at the various Florida cruise ports, we hope you will have an easy time planning your journey so you can enjoy every moment of your cruise vacation.
By this time, you are probably intrigued by the myriad of amazing cruises that all port in Florida, so pack your bags and head out for an adventure you’ll never forget.
