Miami or Orlando Port

[cruisekitty22]

Which port is better/ easier to fly to  and sail from for our cruise?  Miami or Orlando? We are 2 seniors who need the easiest cruise to take. We are from CT.

[esm54687]

You can also find great info over in the Florida port thread: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/386-florida-departures/

[dexddd]

Tough question.  My reaction would be Orlando but with all the big ships in Port on some days it gets really busy there and airport is a solid hour away.  Miami Port can be busy too on some days like weekends.

 

Miami airport to port about 20 minutes.  I'd say in general flights and hotels in Miami more expensive.

 

I'd probably just pick ship and route and go that way.

 

 

[ColeThornton]

Actually Orlando isn't the port.  That would be Port Canaveral.  Orlando is where you fly in to and as dexddd said it's an hour away.  

[tef43]

It's no longer an issue after moving to FL, but I hated MCO with a passion, even though to me, Port Canaveral is the nicer port.

[havanadaydreaming]

i love sail away from MIami.  before departure I always look for seaplanes landing in the bay/basin and after departure I love watching the skyscrapers fade in the distance.  

 

In my experience I can usually get better airfare to Orlando.  But sometimes looking at Lauderdale + Miami makes a Port Miami cruise more doable than just searching Miami airfare.   all three airports are pretty simple to catch a shuttle to the port. 

 

 

[PTC DAWG]

Miami, next question.

[BNBR]

Neither are difficult.  Miami would be "easier" since you don't need to figure out transportation to the port.  Just hop in a cab as it's close by.  Orlando/Port Canaveral, it's over an hour away and a cab would be quite pricey.

 

Miami also opens up the option for Fort Lauderdale airport, which is just 30 minutes from the port as well.  So more flight options.

 

Ultimately, I wouldn't worry much about any of them.  

[LrgPizza]

Orlando is in the dead center of Florida. There is no port there, as it is landlocked. 

[deliver42]

I would pick Miami if you are flying in. There is a short cab ride to the port. The other option would be to fly into Ft Lauderdale. Then you can fly Southwest which may save you some money, and the first bag is free. A shuttle to Miami is about $25 -30.00.

[disneylover89]

If you want really easy and cost isn't a factor I would say, fly into Orlando the day before cruise. (I always suggest that) Stay at the Hyatt Orlando Airport Hotel overnight.  It is right in airport and very convenient. Take NCL shuttle in the morning right from the airport.  This method may cost a little more but is nice and easy and all in one place.

[VideoTech]

If easy is the criteria, on the whole I'd say Miami. As noted, Port Canaveral is 40 minutes drive from MCO in Orlando - but you could make this easy by taking cruise line airport transfers. Another drawback to MCO (Orlando) is that it always has long security lines.

 

But Miami isn't much better as far as security lines go, and baggage claim takes forever at Miami. On the other hand, it's a quick 10 to 15 minute taxi or Uber ride to the port. 

 

Flying into Fort Lauderdale (FLL) for cruises out of Miami gives you an easier airport to deal with, but puts you about 40 minutes from the Miami port. 

 

I'd suggest you pick the cruise you want, and not worry too much about the airports. There are plenty of ways to make the airport part of the cruise fairly easy anywhere. Cruise line transfers, baggage pickup services, etc. 

[schmoopie17]

What's wrong with Tampa? 

 

[Mike_DeA]

24 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

What's wrong with Tampa? 

 

 

The OP didn't ask about Tampa.  And Tampa only has limited ships and is seasonal for NCL.  Miami and Orlando have many more options.

[schmoopie17]

6 minutes ago, Mike_DeA said:

 

The OP didn't ask about Tampa.  And Tampa only has limited ships and is seasonal for NCL.  Miami and Orlando have many more options.

 

Yes, I realize that. Perhaps they didn't know Tampa is an option and was throwing out there. I also note they asked about Orlando...but Orlando is not a port...which also makes me think they were unaware of Tampa. We have a cruise out of Tampa February, 2021.

Edited December 19, 2019 by schmoopie17

[Mike_DeA]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

 

Yes, I realize that. Perhaps they didn't know Tampa is an option and was throwing out there. I also note they asked about Orlando...but Orlando is not a port...which also makes me think they were unaware of Tampa. We have a cruise out of Tampa February, 2021.

 

That's possible. Though NCL does list it as "Orlando & Beaches (Port Canaveral)" on their website.

 

Interestingly the OP posted a similar question months ago, but did mention Tampa

 

 

[Greek Boss]

Sailing from Miami is my favorite, however I will agree with others in this thread regarding Miami Airport. While it is relatively close to the Port, we learned to always fly into Fort Lauderdale Airport with Southwest. It isn't too much further and the prices (at least from our departure airport) are much more reasonable than flying into Miami. We take a 30-45 minute Uber from FLL depending on traffic but we always fly the day before. 

 

We booked NCL Air for our cruise out of Miami this past November via Miami International Airport and it was horrendous. One of the worst airports I have ever been to. Security line was a disaster and the check-in lines were so clustered. Maybe others have had better experiences there, but for us, Miami Airport was an absolute no-go.

[Langham1865]

I would recommend sailing out of Miami.  Sailaway is beautiful with the Miami skyline and South Beach.  I haven't had troubles flying in or tout of Miami, but I know it can get quite busy.  As others have said. Ft. Lauderdale is easy to fly in and out of for Miami cruises.

 

The one time I sailed out of Port Canaveral and flew in and out of Orlando was my worst cruise/airport experience.  Coming in was easy.  I had arranged transfers through NCL, which ran great.  Getting through the Orlando airport for a departure flight on a Sunday was pure chaos with all of the Disney families flying out as well.  No semblance of lines getting through security.   I haven't sailed out of Port Canaveral since because of that. 

[JimR24]

I live in Tampa and travel the state for work.  I really don't like going to Miami.  We have left out of both ports and I would take Canaveral over Miami every day of the week.  I find the traffic in Miami to be god awful.  

[BirdTravels]

Either is fine.

 

For Port Canaveral, we use GoPortCanaveral to get to/from the port (cheap, full size motor coaches). 

 

Miami, we usually just uber around Miami. 

 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

Carnival intruder here.  I've sailed out of both Miami and Port Canaveral, so here are my comparisons of the two.  See the Day 0 portion of my Imagination and Sensation reviews for a first-hand account.

 

Behavior of airport/TSA personnel

Miami: Surly and abrupt.
Port Canaveral: Friendly.
Winner: Port Canaveral.

 

Proximity to local hotels.

Miami: 30 minutes for airport hotels, less than 10 minutes for downtown hotels, where walking may be possible.
Port Canaveral: 10 to 20 minutes; walking to the port is difficult, if not prohibited.
Winner: Toss-up, depends where your Miami hotel is

 

Proximity to city airport (FLL is not factored in for Miami)

Miami: 10 minutes for airport hotels, 30 to 40 minutes for downtown hotels. 
Port Canaveral: 1 hour to 1.5 hours
Winner: Miami

 

Local amenities and neighborhood
Miami: Iffy in terms of safety but OK during the day, many Caribbean and Latin restaurants, roadside canals look cool, exotic wildlife (pelicans) if you're not local to Florida. 

Port Canaveral: Mostly very safe but with a slight "hick" vibe, sea of parking lots in parts, restaurants are mainly chains, easy access to the ocean/beach from most neighborhoods.
Winner: Toss-up

 

Pedestrian-friendliness
Miami: Most streets have sidewalks and streetlights, but the roads are wide and the drivers are bad.
Port Canaveral: Some roads don't have sidewalks and/or streetlights, but walking is doable even at night.
Winner: Toss-up

 

Human vibe/culture

Miami: Polite but terse and business-like, almost like New York
Port Canaveral: Warm and friendly
Winner: Port Canaveral

 

Public transportation
Miami: Decent by Florida standards.
Port Canaveral: Virtually nonexistent.
Winner: Miami

 

Security at embarkation
Miami: Dry and terse, but polite and willing to answer questions. 

Port Canaveral: Friendly, chatty, and understanding of tourists' foibles.
Winner: Port Canaveral

 

Waiting area
Miami: Institutional and industrial-looking, but seating is comfortable.
Port Canaveral: Spartan, but with relaxing background music playing.
Winner: Port Canaveral, by a narrow margin

 

Customs at debarkation
Miami: Surly but prompt and outwardly polite.

Port Canaveral: Angry-looking and hostile toward solo cruisers.
Winner: Miami, without a doubt

Edited December 20, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[cecil89]

We usually pick pick our cruises by itinerary first then ship second.

have cruised from Miami and port canavral several times, usually 3times a year with back to backs.i love Miami but the hotels are so expensive for a nice one.

as a senior I find port canavral an easier port.   We use go port canavral and book a hotel with airport pick up and cruise shuttle, easy peasy.    No need to find Uber or taxis.

we just went out of port canavral for a short 5 day on the sun, had never been on such a small ship, but it was great, easy to navigate.

i am really stressed about our next one through San Juan with all the troubles with traffic and docking at the port.   Wish it was as easy as goport canavral.

 

[dexddd]

23 hours ago, cecil89 said:

We usually pick pick our cruises by itinerary first then ship second.

have cruised from Miami and port canavral several times, usually 3times a year with back to backs.i love Miami but the hotels are so expensive for a nice one.

as a senior I find port canavral an easier port.   We use go port canavral and book a hotel with airport pick up and cruise shuttle, easy peasy.    No need to find Uber or taxis.

we just went out of port canavral for a short 5 day on the sun, had never been on such a small ship, but it was great, easy to navigate.

i am really stressed about our next one through San Juan with all the troubles with traffic and docking at the port.   Wish it was as easy as goport canavral.

 

When is epic back in San Juan, today or tomorrow?  Likely next round of issues coming.