Best Florida Port to Cruise From

[Essiesmom]

If you fly in, Ft. Lauderdale because the port is only 10 miles approx from the airport.

 

Not ten miles as the crow flies:

 

[iluvdoxies]

My favorite is Port Canaveral--close to home (45 min).

 

Easy parking and check in, friendly staff.

 

2nd would be Tampa.

[deadmoney]

The legend is one of the cruises I am looking at, glad to hear it was awesome. I love St. Pete Beach, so I am always looking for ways to visit it.

 

We went on it last Mothers day and are going again this Mothers day.

All four stops are great and Roatan is a must see.

if you choose The legend you'll be happy you did.

[iluvdoxies]

In my opinion, it's not about the port, but about the DESTINATION. We want to go as far south as we can get in 7 days so we chose to cruise out of Miami. We're going all the way to St. Thomas. You can't really do that from any of the other ports (well, maybe Ft. Lauderdale). The further north you cruise out of, the less south you will cruise. Miami is set up very efficiently since it's such a large port.

 

Sorry, but you are wrong--all of the 7 dayers out of Port Canaveral go to St Thomas and St Marrten. I've been on them.

[jaxcruiser23]

I think you for got about JAX port!

 

I have been out of it before to go on the celebration when it was here,and had no problem's what so ever.And it was not "chaotic" like other people are saying.I saw no hassel leaving out of or coming into the port.But JAX port is not the one that i'm picking.I'm picking Ft.lauderdale base on that the worker's there know more about what they are doing and they are not rude.Unlike port canaveral where there people have no clue what's going on half the time and they are very rude.

[SkyMaster]

Sorry, but you are wrong--all of the 7 dayers out of Port Canaveral go to St Thomas and St Marrten. I've been on them.

 

Sorry, but you are wrong! The "Dream" alternates Eastern, and Western, all seven day cruises. Don't believe it? Look it up.

 

"SKY"

[CrusinCyndi]

Tampa

[bobbiejean]

We have cruised out of Tampa and Port Canavaral. Tampa was the easiest as far as transportation. Stayed in a motel that picked us up at the airport and the next day took us to the ship. Used Carnival bus from Orlando to Port C. Would go either way.

[Hooking4]

Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale we stay 3 or 4 days before the cruise. Miami would be 2nd. but we still fly into Ft. Lauderdale because its cheaper even with the cost to get to Miami.

 

 

 

 

 

Dutch , can you recommend a hotel . were going out of Lauderdale on our next cruise and will be leaving the car @ the hotel , thanks .

[scchasgal]

I prefer Port Canaveral (drive port) since I hate the traffic as you get around Boca Raton and all the way to the port of Miami. You never know when there is an accident and 95 turns into a nightmare.

[Martini Mom]

The only Florida port I've sailed from was Miami and I was NOT impressed. It was the most difficult and irritating embarkation of all of my cruises. However, sail away was beautiful!! Miami is very pretty.

[Cruisin'Trooper]

Port Canaveral is great and Tampa rocks too. Jacksonville was probably the smoothest as far as getting on and off, but Canaveral and Tampa have better ships and iteneraries. Lauderdale and Miami are NUTS when 6 adn 7 ships are in port at once.

[Wicked_Nurse]

Tampa was very easy for us. Plenty of transportation to the port from the airport/local hotel. I'm sorta not looking forward to Port Canaveral, since it's so far from the airport to the port and we are either going to have to rent a car or pay A LOT for transportation.

 

 

I agree..Tampa is great if your flying in;)

[katiel53]

In my opinion, it's not about the port, but about the DESTINATION. We want to go as far south as we can get in 7 days so we chose to cruise out of Miami. We're going all the way to St. Thomas. You can't really do that from any of the other ports (well, maybe Ft. Lauderdale). The further north you cruise out of, the less south you will cruise. Miami is set up very efficiently since it's such a large port.

 

You can get to St Thomas and St Martin from Pt Canaveral too. Pt Canaveral is our favorite port. We have sailed from Miami, (too long a wait to board, too many people, too much confusion.) Ft Lauderdale (better than Miami by a long shot, but port people don't know that 2 750 ML bottles of wine equal 1.5 liters), but short wait times at Pt Canaveral, nice people and just overall easier embarkation and debarkation.

[Ken076]

Dutch , can you recommend a hotel . were going out of Lauderdale on our next cruise and will be leaving the car @ the hotel , thanks .

 

Check these out - this is probably a year+ old and the details may have changed:

 

Park, Stay fly (Cruise) Packages

Comfort Suites

Airport & Cruise Port

1800 South Federal Highway

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Phone:

• 1 week free parking

• Roundtrip airport

transfers 5am-12am

• Roundtrip transfers to Port

Everglades 5am-12am

Hyatt Place

1851 South East 10th Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Phone:

• 1 week free parking

• Roundtrip airport

transfers 5am-12am

• Roundtrip transfers to Port

Everglades 5am-12am

Hilton Ft Lauderdale

Airport Hotel

1870 Griffin Rd

Dania Beach, FL 33004

Phone:

• 2 weeks free parking

• 24 hour roundtrip

airport transfers

Springhill Suites Ft. Lauderdale FLL

 

Dania Beach, Fl

$229.00 USD room rate is for up to 2 people, 7 days parking

Homewood Suites Ft. Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port FLL

$209.00 USD room rate is for king occupancy, 14 days parking

Hilton Garden Inn Ft Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport

 

Dania Beach, FL

Rodeway Inn & Suites Airport/Cruise Port

2440 West State Road 84 , Fort Lauderdale, FL, US, 33312 | Phone: (954) 792-8181

The hotel offers free airport and cruise port shuttle service. Be sure to ask about the Stay & Fly and cruise packages available at the hotel.

 

ken

[Frank12]

[quote name='iluvdoxies']My favorite is Port Canaveral--close to home (45 min).

Easy parking and check in, friendly staff.

2nd would be Tampa.[/quote]

I agree with iluvdoxies.

[t1adams]

Yep, you guys are right. You can go to St. Thomas from the mid-Florida area. It was so long ago that we booked this trip I couldn't even remember why we didn't cruise from mid-state instead so I went back to look. It's because if you want to go the Eastern Carribean route (which is what we wanted since we had done the Western twice already), you can't do as many ports. There are only three ports instead of the four that you get from Miami. I would assume that would be because it takes more sea time to get that far south. Now we only looked at the month of April. I didn't look nor did I care about any other month.

[richstowe]

[quote name='JaniceB']Which of these Florida port to you feel are the best to cruise from Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, or Port Canaveral? I am considering a few cruises for next year and was wondering about embarkation and parking..[/quote]

[SIZE=3]Thanx for the topic. As already noted ,you didn't list Jacksonville.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Trying to choose between the Fascination,leaving from Jax and the Ecstasy from PC.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Lots of good info here.:)[/SIZE]

[laumicmah]

[quote name='jaxcruiser23']I think you for got about JAX port!

I have been out of it before to go on the celebration when it was here,and had no problem's what so ever.And it was not "chaotic" like other people are saying.I saw no hassel leaving out of or coming into the port.But JAX port is not the one that i'm picking.I'm picking Ft.lauderdale base on that the worker's there know more about what they are doing and they are not rude.Unlike port canaveral where there people have no clue what's going on half the time and they are very rude.[/quote]
Well Jaxport is a temporary terminal...1 level. We've done it twice and pulling in, you don't know where to go...granted it is quickly figured out, but there are folks going this way and that....folks dropping off luggage where folks are coming off the ship (we get there around 10:30) and folks waiting around for taxi/shuttle/bus and getting picked up....it all happens in 1 small area. In Port Canaveral...we pulled up to the porter stations...dropped bags...swung around into the lot and parked and then walked into terminal where we went through security and up an escalator into a huge terminal with plenty of space to wait until boarding and you walk the gangway onto the ship at the atrium. In Jaxport, you walk outside on a path under a canopy and get on the ship at the bottom. You then have to wait for elevator- with a bunch of other folks- to go up to atrium. It's do-able and not completely horrible, but not as smooth as port canaveral...IMO.

[laumicmah]

[quote name='richstowe'][SIZE=3]Thanx for the topic. As already noted ,you didn't list Jacksonville.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Trying to choose between the Fascination,leaving from Jax and the Ecstasy from PC.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Lots of good info here.:)[/SIZE][/quote]
We loved the Fascination (nice sized ship that was recently made over (Serenity Deck is NICE!!)...easy to navigate...good-great staff...clean...fun...Trevor the CD was good/funny). Jax is a great area...there is a Holiday Inn Express-Blount Island just 2 minutes from port. They have a park and go package. We stayed there the first time we went on the Fascinaion and it was nice (not much right around there though...you have to drive to get to dining/shopping/beach).

[richstowe]

[SIZE=3]RE JAX[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]That really sounds crude. Wonder if they have upgrade plans?[/SIZE]

[laumicmah]

[quote name='richstowe'][SIZE=3]RE JAX[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]That really sounds crude. Wonder if they have upgrade plans?[/SIZE][/quote]
I think...not 100% sure,but I think that Jax is building a new permanent terminal.
And to clarify- In Jax, there is an indoor security/check-in/waiting area...smaller and 1 level.

[realtrip]

I agree with Fort Lauderdale.

Flying in from Canada it is cheaper to fly to FLL and the flights are more likely to be direct.
Port is so close! Unfortunately cruises are usually more expensive, oh, well, gotta make choices. I've flown into FLL for 5 cruises but only sailed once from FLL (the rest from MIA)

[JaniceB]

[quote name='Kissyfur19']If you are considering a cruise just on the port alone....TAMPA....HANDS DOWN.

Easy to get in & out of....plenty of parking...parking fees are reasonable (and alot of local hotels offer parking packages with transportation to the port) and you are typically the ONLY ship in port so it's smooooooth as can be getting through and onto the ship!

I am kind of biased though...I live here[/quote]

Parking fees are another thing I didn't think about since most everyone will be driving. Good to know that we would be the only ship in port, too.
Thank you!

[JaniceB]

[quote name='NavarreCruiser']We've been to all the ports in FL. many times. We drive to all. Here is my take.
Last week we went out of Fll. Too many ships, traffic is bad, and busses take too long to get to you.
The week before we went out of Mia. Hate the traffic in the city. The port was fine. Free parking for handicap. Which is nice.
Jacksonville is fine. No problems.
Tampa is fine. The only problem we've ever had (twice) is how to get back on the highway out of the parking lot. The signage is not so great.
Our favorite and the one we try to go out of the most (about 9 times) is PC. Many motels with park and cruise. Love the town. Love the beaches. The busses are always there waiting for us. It's stress free.
But then again it's only my opinion.[/quote]

Thank you, your opinion is what I asked for and considering all your cruises I am sure it is a very good one.