Corby114

Icon of the Seas is Royal Caribbean's newest ship that hasn't even gone into service yet. Interior cabins for a seven day sailing are going for over two thousand dollars per passenger. There's no way that this promotion is legitimate! Run far away in the opposite direction! Another case of spam!

There is no safe off site parking in the Miami area. I have read too many sad stories regarding parking in the Miami area since I became a member in March 2002. Most downtown Miami locations are in less desirable areas. Many posts report damaged vehicles, gas stolen from vehicles, etc. The only safe place to park your vehicle is at the Port Of Miami. After your cruise you will find your vehicle in the same condition as you left it. Personally , I normally rent a vehicle and return it before embarkation or hire a shuttle service, Uber or Lyft to take my family to the Port of Miami.

The Parking Spot is a private parking lot directly across from Newark Liberty International Airport. The lot is cheaper than parking at the airport. The price is reasonable and the lot except for the entrance and exit is completely fenced in. A few times that we parked there we were able to download a coupon for a slightly lower rate. The facility has small commuter buses for transportation back and forth to and from Newark Liberty International Airport.

There's plenty of signage available on Dodge Island ( Port Of Miami) to get you from the parking lot over to the tunnel and back over to Interstate 395.

Port Canaveral to the Port of Miami is a four plus hour trip on Interstate 95. Not including picking up a rental vehicle from a Cape Canaveral rental location and dropping it off in the Miami area adds approximately two hours to the voyage. One brush fire or serious accident on Interstate 95 and you're screwed. If you plan a Saturday to Saturday cruise out of Port Canaveral followed by a Sunday to Sunday cruise from either Port Everglades or Port of Miami and the two cruise voyages can be accomplished. Personally I would be too stressed to do it myself but with the overnight in the South Florida area it can be done. Same day sailing is literally impossible.

The jetty has been closed for years but you can stand on the beach and watch the ships leave Port Everglades. I usually park in the northernmost lot and walk over to the beach. The jetty was better but the beach isn't bad either.

If you are cruising on two ships owned by the same company they should be able to get you transportation from one ship to another. If you are cruising on two different lines you are out of luck. Grab a cab, tip generously and drip honey when you are talking to the cab driver on your short ride between terminals.

Uber or Lyft should be the cheapest for that trip which should take approximately one hour to complete. An alternate plan would involve Larry's Limos which is recommended by many Cruise Critic posters including myself. Call them for a price quote. They have reasonable rates, knowledgeable drivers and clean, up to date vehicles.

I was always under the impression that you could drop off the rental vehicle after closing time and return the keys at the off hours key drop. I would call the Cape Canaveral rental office to confirm if this scenario is true.

Best idea is to either cab, Uber or Lyft over to Miami International Airport Rental Car Center from the Port Of Miami. The facility has every name brand Car Rental company under one roof. Open twenty four hours a day. Only a fifteen minute cab ride from the Port of Miami. In most instances plenty of vehicles available and plenty of staff on site. So much better than using the downtown Miami locations that are closer to the Port of Miami.

Contact Larry's Limos for a free price quote. Larry's Limos provides you with a clean vehicle, knowledgeable driver and reasonable rates. Highly recommended by many Cruise Critic posters including myself.

You can easily make the noon flight but I'm the stress free type and would normally book the 3:00PM flight home. A cab, shuttle bus or Uber is an easy forty five minute ride from the Port of Miami to FLL. If your off the ship by 8:30AM or earlier you have plenty of time to make either flight.

Rent a vehicle from FLL for the minimum twenty four hour time period and then find something that interests you. I would either spend a few hours on Fort Lauderdale Beach, Hollywood Beach or drive down to South Beach in Miami Beach. Have a nice lunch and kill a few hours at one of the three locations. Return the rental vehicle at the Miami International Airport Car Rental Center and take the short walk over to MIA or you can use the shuttle bus located on the top floor of the Rental Car Center to get you over to the airport. A lot better than a hop on hop off bus trip..

The terminal normally opens around 9:00AM for arriving passengers. If the previous sailing is running late they normally hold up opening the terminal until disembarking passengers have left the area.

I would be stressed out driving five hours from Port Everglades to Tampa regarding a same day sailing. Try finding a same day sailing out of either the Port of Miami or Port Everglades. Definitely less stressful and less aggravating.

I sailed solo on Royal Caribbean's Song Of America in May 1983 and May 1984. The ship which was only thirty four thousand tons was small in today's standards. The ship did rotating seven night cruises to both the eastern and western Caribbean from Miami. The first sailing I had an oceanview cabin by myself. The second year the ship was fully booked and I ended up sharing a cabin with a senior citizen who was cruising with a group from California. The first cruise I attended the singles get together on the first night. There were eighty five single women and fifteen single guys.That first cruise hooked me on cruises to this day. I have done close to fifty sailings since that first cruise in 1983.

Skip the party on Saturday night and drive down on Saturday morning. Stay at a Miami hotel overnight and then drive over to the Port Of Miami on embarkation day. Secure your vehicle at the parking lot and enjoy your cruise.

The car rental return is basically drop off and go. I suggest you get an early start so it doesn't take you too long to be away from your family. I personally try to return the rental vehicle before 10:00AM when the line isn't too long.

Garcia's on the Miami River has great seafood and isn't too far from the Port Of Miami. I also like Perricones Italian in Brickell. It has great home made Italian food and also isn't too far from the Port Of Miami.

I love Louie Bossi's Italian Restaurant at the Riverside stop on the Water Taxi route. Great bar, great food and a great place to people watch. Very noisy and always very busy but it's always worth the wait. If you decide to have lunch or dinner there a reservation is a good idea and usually saves you time.

The Cape Canaveral rental car locations are very busy on cruise turnaround days. What I normally do is drive over to Port Canaveral first, drop off family and luggage and then drive back and return rental vehicle. If the shuttle bus line is very long I call the local cab company or Uber for transportation back to Port Canaveral. When I arrive back at Port Canaveral I then check in at the terminal with my family.

A short fifteen minute cab ride from FLL to Port Everglades will cost you around twenty dollars plus tip. Uber or Lyft around fifteen dollars plus tip. There's a cellphone parking area at FLL we're most Uber drivers wait for fares.

If you're looking for a place to stay and leave your vehicle while you're on your cruise a hotel in the Blue Lagoon area of Miami will do the trick. Blue Lagoon area is located near MIA. Many Cruise Critic posters stay in this area before embarking on their cruises. Hotels near the port don't provide you with shuttle service and leaving your vehicle at there locations are very expensive.

Shuttle service from the Miami International Airport Rental Car Center to the Port Of Miami was suspended at the beginning of the Covid Pandemic and never resumed. If you rent a vehicle at the Rental Car Center it's easier to return it to the same location and either taxi, Uber or Lyft over to the Port of Miami. I would stay away from the downtown Miami locations because they are small and very busy on cruise turnaround days.

I have flown into PBI a few times when flights into FLL and MIA were very expensive. I normally fly in at least a day or two early so I rent a vehicle from PBI and then drop off the rental car on embarkation day. The ride south usually takes me approximately one and a half hours to FLL and two hours to MIA.