Sailing out of Miami, Advantages/Disadvantages to flying into/ staying at either Miami or Fort Lauderdale? Which is better?

[Katems75]

Hello, I've never been to either airport and don't know if one is nicer or better in some way than the other. Obviously flight times and prices will play into this, but currently it seems pretty equal.  Is Fort Lauderdale too far from the port to drive in easily the morning of embarkation?  I've heard Fort Lauderdale has cheaper hotels?

 

Any advice regarding advantages and disadvantages to any scenario (fly into Fort Lauderdale but immediately drive to a Miami hotel?  Fly into Fort Lauderdale and stay the night there and drive to Miami in the morning?  Fly and stay right in Miami from the very start?) would be appreciated.  Coming from upstate NY.

 

Thank you!

Edited October 17, 2022 by Katems75

[Jimbo]

No problem at  all with getting transportation from the Ft. Lauderdale area the day of the cruise to Miami. All depends what you want to do the day prior to your cruise in which city.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Jimbo

[Nebr.cruiser]

I prefer the Fort Lauderdale airport, but usually then we are sailing out of Port Everglades, which is only about 10 minutes away.

 

It's really not a big deal to get from the Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami, maybe 45 minutes depending on traffic, but If sailing out of Miami I'd certainly check out flying into Miami first.  It would depend on air cost as well as hotel cost.  Usually Fort Lauderdale does have some cheaper hotel prices.

 

The Miami airport would be more convenient, if sailing out of Miami, so for us it would come down to price, considering transportation from Fort Lauderdale to Miami as well as air and hotel costs.

[Mum2Mercury]

We've sailed out of Miami twice, and both times we stayed in Fort Lauderdale.  It's always been a matter of price, though two stays doesn't prove a pattern.  Driving into Miami "day of" is nothing -- as someone else said, it's about 45 minutes.  

[cruiselvr04]

I prefer the Fort Lauderdale airport but will go with whichever one is cheaper.  Because we use Southwest it’s 2 one way tickets so in December we are flying into FLL, stay in Miami overnight, cruise from Miami and fly home from Miami.  It’s is easy to get a taxi or Uber between the 2.  Miami is much more expensive for a hotel room.  Near the port will be around $450 a night so we will stay near the Miami airport for half that.  (Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon) You could easily stay in FLL and then taxi or Uber to the pier in Miami in the am. I budget for $75 to $100 with tip for transportation from FLL to Miami.  Rush hour will slow you down and cost more with a cab.  This time taking that into consideration it was still cheaper to fly into FLL and only FLL had non stop flights coming in.  

[cruisegal40]

We returned last month. Flew JB down to Ft. L and stayed 2 nights on the beach.  We grabbed the taxi driver's biz card when he picked us up at the airport.  Made arrangements to bring us to Miami the morning of embarkation.  We did fly back Miami for convenience as we had an earlier flight and did not want to put up with Sat morning traffic on the HW. Worked out well. That being said, I think next time we would fly into the airport that we are leaving from.  

[exercisemama]

In 2019 we flew into Fort Lauderdale and stayed on Hollywood Beach. No problem getting an Uber to Miami the day of our cruise.

[teddybear231]

It's usually cheaper for us to fly into FLL, but if we're sailing out of Miami I prefer to fly right into Miami. It's a quick 20 minute cab ride to the port.

[barbeyg]

Last time, we stayed in FLL and drove into Miami day of. Next year, we will stay in Miami. Used an AMEX benefit to knock $200 off the hotel price. Takes some of the sting out, and puts us a short UBER ride away.  As long as we can minimize the ‘ouch’ of Miami hotel prices, we prefer to stay there. 

[BoozinCroozin]

My advice is to whichever has the least expensive non-stop routes. There really is no advantage to either other than about an extra $30 or so each way from FLL by Uber. Figure that in to the overall cost of flights in MIA. You can also consider PBI if fares are drastically lower. TriRail and Brightline (is that the new one) are inexpensive and get to FLL or MIA. It adds more time to the commute, but if it saves enough it is worth it.

[Lois R]

Check the prices........I have found flying into Ft. Lauderdale is usually quite a bit less than flying into Miami.  I have to agree with cruisegal40 about timing.  My next cruise I am flying into Ft. Lauderdale but coming home I am going out of Miami.......the timing is so much better for my particular flight out of Miami...1:30.....if I was to fly home from Ft. Lauderdale? The flights are way too early or way too late😮

[j603]

We usually fly into FLL for cruising out of Miami and have stayed in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Both are easy and convenient, it is pretty much which airport has the cheaper flights and which hotels have better prices.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

For us, flying into FLL saved over $200pp r.t. With a family of 5, it was an easy decision. 

[Flymia]

Don't over think it. In reality FLL is pretty close to Miami. Choosing between FLL or MIA is like choosing between JFK or LGA. At the end it is all the same, just one is a bit closer of a drive. For flights, prices and schedule should be the decision maker, not airport. You can easily drive to Miami from FLL either the day you arrive or the day you leave on the ship. It is a 30-45 min drive. 

[mnamor]

We'll be flying into FLL and staying in a hotel about halfway to Miami and doing the same on the way back to FLL.  Hope it works out for us.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

4 hours ago, mnamor said:

We'll be flying into FLL and staying in a hotel about halfway to Miami and doing the same on the way back to FLL.  Hope it works out for us.

What are your plans for getting from FLL to hotel, and hotel to port? (And back?)

[volk904]

FLL is a 30-40 min drive from port but lots of options to get between. I think both airports are nice.  I would base decision on price and schedule. 

[mnamor]

10 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

What are your plans for getting from FLL to hotel, and hotel to port? (And back?)

Uber from FLL to Aventura hotel, then Uber from hotel to Port Miami the next day.  Same thing on the way back only the reverse.

[weltek]

The only time we consider FLL is if it will save us more than $100 total on airfare and flight times are within reason. Yes, hotels are also cheaper in FLL, but transportation is a little more, so also worth considering that when you are looking at overall savings. I have to save at least $100 total to make up for the extra 20-30 minutes each way going out of FLL would mean, so that's why I just keep that dollar amount in my mind for airfare, and then any MAJOR hotel savings are a bonus.

 

Just note that for disembarkation day, you need about 25 minutes more to get to FLL than MIA. 

 

MIA is easiest overall, but FLL isn't THAT much harder. Just have to plan a little more time and transportation. I've used Jiffy Jeff for that trip with no problems. 

[redsox1584]

On 10/25/2022 at 6:52 AM, mnamor said:

Uber from FLL to Aventura hotel, then Uber from hotel to Port Miami the next day.  Same thing on the way back only the reverse.

have you stayed in Aventura before?  I was just wondering if it’s a nice area. I am in a similar situation where the flights are much cheaper to FLL than MIA

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, redsox1584 said:

have you stayed in Aventura before?  I was just wondering if it’s a nice area. I am in a similar situation where the flights are much cheaper to FLL than MIA

Aventura is a very nice area.  Has a great high end mall with nice restaurants

[Elaine5715]

The Fort Lauderdale airport is much smaller than Miami.  I prefer flying into and staying in Fort Lauderdale because not only are the hotels and restaurants more reasonable, there are more things to do in FLL.  The water taxi is great, several casinos and malls to spend the day.  I like hotels with walkable restaurants nearby.  I stayed in a beautiful hotel in downtown Miami once when Carnival offered a precruise hotel option and I was looking forward to trying a restaurant just one block away.  As I was leaving, I confirmed directions with the Bellman who said that they would call a taxi (pre Uber) because walking there and back was not safe.  

[kimmimom]

We did this for the first time in Sept.  We flew into FLL (much cheaper for us).  We stayed at Tru by FLL and that was free shuttle to hotel.  We arranged SAS transportation for Sat morning to get to the Miami port ($15/person).  We used SAS to return to FLL after the cruise (also $15/person).  Going again in April, but going 2 days ahead so trying to allow more touristy time.

[Elaine5715]

43 minutes ago, kimmimom said:

We did this for the first time in Sept.  We flew into FLL (much cheaper for us).  We stayed at Tru by FLL and that was free shuttle to hotel.  We arranged SAS transportation for Sat morning to get to the Miami port ($15/person).  We used SAS to return to FLL after the cruise (also $15/person).  Going again in April, but going 2 days ahead so trying to allow more touristy time.

Do the water taxi if you can.  Wonderful view of the houses and yachts with a heap of history.  

[kimmimom]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

Do the water taxi if you can.  Wonderful view of the houses and yachts with a heap of history.  

trying to find an airbnb for 6 of us to stay at versus hotel in april