Jump to content

New NCL PortMiami Terminal


eroller
 Share

Recommended Posts

Today I picked up two friends from SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS.  That itself was a complete cluster %$&#, but that aside I was stuck in traffic outside the new NCL terminal and got a great look.  I have to say it's really impressive and huge looking.  Tons of glass and a beautiful design.  For now I would avoid the area at all costs.  The traffic patterns are really screwed up because of all the construction and it's just a mess.  With MSC building a massive new terminal on the other side of the Royal Caribbean terminal, and the NCL terminal construction, it's going to be a while before things are "normal".   I was stuck in traffic 40 minutes just moving inches trying to get into the Royal terminal.  Not fun and not a great way for my friends to end their cruise.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, eroller said:

Today I picked up two friends from SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS.  That itself was a complete cluster %$&#, but that aside I was stuck in traffic outside the new NCL terminal and got a great look.  I have to say it's really impressive and huge looking.  Tons of glass and a beautiful design.  For now I would avoid the area at all costs.  The traffic patterns are really screwed up because of all the construction and it's just a mess.  With MSC building a massive new terminal on the other side of the Royal Caribbean terminal, and the NCL terminal construction, it's going to be a while before things are "normal".   I was stuck in traffic 40 minutes just moving inches trying to get into the Royal terminal.  Not fun and not a great way for my friends to end their cruise.  

 

I feel your pain! We were on Symphony a month ago and dropping off bags and parking took forever. We got a hotel in Miami so we could board as early as possible but that did not work out due to the traffic jams and confusion around the port. Although I will say that leaving with the luggage and the elevators to the parking garage being right there when you exit the terminal was great. We go out on the Encore for NYE so would love to have the new terminal done by then but I’m not going to bet on it. 

 

Mary Ann

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Nice pics Ernie.  The NCL terminal will be nice.  Too bad its probably going to be a year behind schedule. In Miami terms, that's actually pretty good 🙄


 

Oh yes. If we’re going by Miami standards we are talking delays and poor construction quality to go with it.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

When we were on the Symphony a few months back, traffic in/out of the new Terminal A (beyond the NCL terminal) was awful. It remains to be seen if things around the two new terminals improves when/if construction ever finishes. 


 

I think all the construction partly to blame, as they have to stop incoming traffic to allow outboard traffic to make a left turn to exit the port, but once you get beyond that it’s still horrible.  The Royal Caribbean terminal just isn’t designed well for all the traffic.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

thanks for the pictures and traffic report!  Was going to call Uber to get my ride when I return from a cruise in October but maybe I will just get a waiting taxi...


I could see Uber drivers bypassing the Royal terminal all together.  I would if I were an Uber driver.  I would focus on the other terminals where it doesn’t take 40 minutes just to get through it.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I remember our Bliss cruise last Thanksgiving out of Miami.  It was the first sailing for Symphony and we couldn’t believe how bad the traffic was.  We were stopped inside the tunnel for quite some time.  We always cruise Thanksgiving week and it’s usually out of Miami and we never had traffic like that before.  I guess for this years Thanksgiving cruise we’ll know to expect delays and just go with the flow.  Unfortunately we leave the same day as Symphony.  Is there another way into the port besides the tunnel?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, gatorchinsky said:

Is there another way into the port besides the tunnel?


 

Yes there is a bridge that you enter from downtown Miami right next to Bayside.  That is the traditional way to enter the port.  The tunnel is quite new.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

Thinking about that Miami sun and heat it made me think that the new terminal is going to have one heck of a monthly air conditioning bill with all that glass.

Not really.  The glass will be impact resistant (thick and strong) and the technology of today has the glass completely reduce heat exposure through the glass.  The old days they would put a film over the glass like they do with car window tinting. Today the residential and commercial glass has incredible economical benefits where the glass itself is the tint reducing glare and heat exposure completely.

If not of course, the place would be a greenhouse sauna.  Even when you see glass in modern courthouses or federal buildings, the glass is built to withstand not only hurricanes but also explosions from outside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, eroller said:

Today I picked up two friends from SYMPHONY OF THE SEAS.  That itself was a complete cluster %$&#, but that aside I was stuck in traffic outside the new NCL terminal and got a great look.  I have to say it's really impressive and huge looking.  Tons of glass and a beautiful design.  For now I would avoid the area at all costs.  The traffic patterns are really screwed up because of all the construction and it's just a mess.  With MSC building a massive new terminal on the other side of the Royal Caribbean terminal, and the NCL terminal construction, it's going to be a while before things are "normal".   I was stuck in traffic 40 minutes just moving inches trying to get into the Royal terminal.  Not fun and not a great way for my friends to end their cruise.  

 

Nice update Ernie. The new NCL terminal looks nice. 

 

I think the POM “area” is going to be a mess for a while. In addition to NCL and MSC construction on the east end of the port it looks like Carnival will be expanding terminal F to handle their new Excel class ship and then add Virgin’s new terminal. Also I read that Disney is working on a new terminal. Possibly next to terminal J. I think RCI is also starting construction on a new office building at the port. Sounds like a lot of activity.

 

I cruise from the Port of Los Angeles two weeks from today (Bliss). Have read mixed reviews on this port. After over 35 years of cruising we finally get to drive to a port. 🙂 Hope all is well down in south Florida. 

 

Gordon

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, cruisingator2 said:

 

Nice update Ernie. The new NCL terminal looks nice. 

 

I think the POM “area” is going to be a mess for a while. In addition to NCL and MSC construction on the east end of the port it looks like Carnival will be expanding terminal F to handle their new Excel class ship and then add Virgin’s new terminal. Also I read that Disney is working on a new terminal. Possibly next to terminal J. I think RCI is also starting construction on a new office building at the port. Sounds like a lot of activity.

 

I cruise from the Port of Los Angeles two weeks from today (Bliss). Have read mixed reviews on this port. After over 35 years of cruising we finally get to drive to a port. 🙂 Hope all is well down in south Florida. 

 

Gordon

 

 

The new NCL terminal looks very impressive.  Even more so than the new Royal terminal.  Yes lots of construction for a while.  For all the things you mentioned.  Everything is a done deal expect the Disney terminal.  That will require dredging on the south side of the port and I believe a bigger turning basin, so a bit more complicated.  Carnival will go into what is now the refurbished MSC terminal, and part of the original Royal terminals built for the Voyager of the Seas.  I think traffic is worse up where the NCL and Royal terminals are because of the cargo footprint.  PortMiami is taking footprint space from cargo to construct the new MSC terminals and the Royal Terminal, and the NCL terminal is right up against cargo and the tunnel entrance.  So space is very constrained.  I hope it gets better but I'm not sure how much space there will, even after all the construction.  I'm guessing they took the minimal amount from Cargo operations that they could, as it's a big money maker for the port.   

 

I've cruised from LA many times during the 15 years I lived there.  Nothing special.  Not the terminals or cruising down the channel.  There might be some horn blowing around Port of Call village but that is about it.  It's pretty industrial.  Also it can get cold very quickly the minute you get out to sea from LA.  Not like cruising out of South Florida.  Usually a day out of LA and the day before arriving into LA can be pretty chilly, even if LA has warm weather.    I hope you enjoy Bliss!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, eroller said:


I could see Uber drivers bypassing the Royal terminal all together.  I would if I were an Uber driver.  I would focus on the other terminals where it doesn’t take 40 minutes just to get through it.  

Aha I will be on Norwegian down at E likely.  So traffic can get in that stretch okay or is it constrained by all the A/B problems?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

Aha I will be on Norwegian down at E likely.  So traffic can get in that stretch okay or is it constrained by all the A/B problems?

 

 

No problems down at that end.  They have their own entrance from the tunnel and from the bridge.  It's the roadway to A that is the problem, along with a poor design for terminal traffic.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...