Easiest ports in Florida?

[CRUISING71]

Hello,

 

We are from California and thinking of cruising to the Carribbean. With our 5 hours flight to get to Florida...we wonder which ports is the easiest to get from airport directly to the ship?

 

For example..I have been reading on this board...if you fly into Orlando...it is a good hour drive to get to ship port. Rent a car to get there and such...I thought after 5 hours flight, we want this much of a hassel since traveling with two kids.

 

So which port is the easiest for us long distance traveler?

 

Thank you,

 

Tibbie

[gone_cruisin]

In order of preferrence -

 

1. Miami - 15 min cab ride usually costs about $25

2. Tampa - 20 min cab ride usally costs about $35

3. Port Everglades

4. Anything else but Port Canaveral - we fly into Tampa, rented a car, drove 2.5 hours and then dropped it off at the Budget counter, shuttle to the Port included with Budget rental. Total time 3.5 hours.

[jester121]

Isn't Ft. Lauderdale airport right next door to the cruise terminal?

[gone_cruisin]

Isn't Ft. Lauderdale airport right next door to the cruise terminal?

 

 

It's about the same distance as Miami.

I'm just not fond of FLL airport!

[CRUISING71]

In order of preferrence -

 

1. Miami - 15 min cab ride usually costs about $25

2. Tampa - 20 min cab ride usally costs about $35

3. Port Everglades

4. Anything else but Port Canaveral - we fly into Tampa, rented a car, drove 2.5 hours and then dropped it off at the Budget counter, shuttle to the Port included with Budget rental. Total time 3.5 hours.

 

Why do you have to fly into Tampa? Couldn't you fly into Orlando? Is the fare cheaper flying into Tampa?

 

Thanks,

Tibbie

[jessemon]

Tampa.....;)

 

The reason I say that is not because you are only a 15 to 20 minute taxi ride to the very easy port terminal but, Tampa airport for a major airport is the easiest one in the country to go through.....Coming in or going out.....;);)

[gone_cruisin]

Why do you have to fly into Tampa? Couldn't you fly into Orlando? Is the fare cheaper flying into Tampa?

 

Thanks,

Tibbie

 

For me, it was cheaper by quite a bit to fly into Tampa.

We flew out of Orlando. Not fond of that airport either. It's crowded with mickey mouse fans. I would have preferred continuing the drive back to Tampa.

[MMastell]

1. FLL/Port Everglades. The cab ride is about ten minutes less than Miami and about $10 cheaper. It is an easy airport to get in and out of. The port itself is a bit more complicated then Miami but not much.

 

2. Tampa. Easy cab ride and the airport isn't hard to get around. Port is easy to get to.

 

3. Miami: Fairly easy to get to port by cab but the airport is larger and harder to navigate. The port, itself, is the easiest.

 

4. Port Canaveral: LONG ride from Orlando to port.

 

Take care,

Mike

[Delta Dear]

If you fly into Tampa a day early, several hotels offer pick up and delivery to and from the airport AND pick up and delivery to ship. That's what we are doing for a cruise in Feb. I would assume you are flying in the day before the cruise.

[vacruizer]

Also - if you cruise from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, they are very close together and you can use either airport depending on which one is cheaper. Factor in shuttle fees to the other destination, but when we sailed from Miami it was still much cheaper for us to fly into Ft. Lauderdale. Also check in to hiring a private car or limo service if you do that - it was actually cheaper than a cab would have been. :eek:

[Tapi]

Don't forget the port of JACKSONVILLE! :)

 

Here is my opinion (and I have either sailed from or visited all of them!):

 

1. Ft. Lauderdale: Closest port to the airport. You literally fly right next to the cruise ships right before landing (when landing to the west). Quick and inexpensive cab drive. Cruise terminal which Carnival uses is not the best though.
   
2. Tampa: 15 minute drive from the airport. VERY nice cruise terminal with shopping and restaurants within walking distance. The Florida Aquarium is also within walking distance.
   
3. Miami: 15 minute drive (which can turn into an hour if the Palmetto expressway is backed up). Very nice and attractive new cruise terminal. If you're Platinum, they have a separate check in lounge behind closed doors which is a VERY nice perk. Cruise Terminal is in Dodge Island, but it's a quick cab drive to the Bayside Marketplace (if you have a few hours to kill).
   
4. Port Canaveral: Yes. It's a long drive from the Orlando airport (41 miles). But it's a VERY easy drive on a straight expressway. Nice cruise terminal but nothing to do nearby.
   
5. Jacksonville: 15 minute drive from the airport. Both the airport and the cruise terminal are north of the city of Jacksonville, so there's absolutely NO traffic. The terminal looks like a warehouse/afterthought but check in should be one of the easiest. The cruise terminal was literally built in an isolated part of an industrial area so don't expect anything to do near the port.
   

[captrjc]

we have gone out of every port in fla in my opinion port canaveral is the best, fly in day early rent a car from avis and stay at the radison at the port the kids will love the pool and you can relax a day before your cruise you will have car for any last minute needs, drop off car in am avis will take you to ship and pick you up when you return rent car and back to airport easy drive no taxis no shuttles no hassle

[nealstuber]

Hello,

 

We are from California and thinking of cruising to the Carribbean. With our 5 hours flight to get to Florida...we wonder which ports is the easiest to get from airport directly to the ship?

 

For example..I have been reading on this board...if you fly into Orlando...it is a good hour drive to get to ship port. Rent a car to get there and such...I thought after 5 hours flight, we want this much of a hassel since traveling with two kids.

 

So which port is the easiest for us long distance traveler?

 

Thank you,

 

Tibbie

 

Completely agree with Tapi that FLL is the easist port, if you are flying in day of the cruise. (Guess you could take a red-eye). IMO, if you are paying for cross country tickets anyhow, take advantage of the extra day or two, either on the fron or back side of the cruise.

[cusyl]

I would say Tampa for sure.

Also, for those driving to the port Tampa is best. They have valet parking so they take your car and porter takes luggage and you just walk on the ship.:D

[cardinalfan]

In my opinion FLL is the easiest. It is easy to navigate and easy to get to the port. I have planned cruises specifically around leaving from FLL.

[Essiesmom]

Don't forget the port of JACKSONVILLE! :)

 

Here is my opinion (and I have either sailed from or visited all of them!):

 

1. Ft. Lauderdale: Closest port to the airport. You literally fly right next to the cruise ships right before landing (when landing to the west). Quick and inexpensive cab drive. Cruise terminal which Carnival uses is not the best though.
   
2. Tampa: 15 minute drive from the airport. VERY nice cruise terminal with shopping and restaurants within walking distance. The Florida Aquarium is also within walking distance.
   
3. Miami: 15 minute drive (which can turn into an hour if the Palmetto expressway is backed up). Very nice and attractive new cruise terminal. If you're Platinum, they have a separate check in lounge behind closed doors which is a VERY nice perk. Cruise Terminal is in Dodge Island, but it's a quick cab drive to the Bayside Marketplace (if you have a few hours to kill).
   
4. Port Canaveral: Yes. It's a long drive from the Orlando airport (41 miles). But it's a VERY easy drive on a straight expressway. Nice cruise terminal but nothing to do nearby.
   
5. Jacksonville: 15 minute drive from the airport. Both the airport and the cruise terminal are north of the city of Jacksonville, so there's absolutely NO traffic. The terminal looks like a warehouse/afterthought but check in should be one of the easiest. The cruise terminal was literally built in an isolated part of an industrial area so don't expect anything to do near the port.
   

I certainly agree about JAX...BUT: Ship from JAX only goes to Bahamas, not Caribbean. EM

[cathyoo]

I will never be able to get my DH to fly out of FLL again. Two years ago we stood in line in the FLL terminal for over 2and 1/2 hours to check in. The line never moved. They actually came around pulling people out of line that were on our flight. This was a Saturday and most of all the people in line were from cruise ships. The workers at the airport were talking about how the airport was not equipped for this kind of traffic. The problem seemed to mainly for US AIR. We had tried to do curbside checkin but were that was not availabe for US AIR.

 

The attendant walked up the line saying flight xxx step out of line. We got out of line and so did the people in front of us. There were two youngs girls we had been chatting with during our very long wait and about 15 others at this point. The attendant told us to stand to the side while she got the rest of the folks on our flight. The line was sooo long and around a few corners. The attendant comes back with about 40 other passengers who had been behind us in line. Now she puts our little group behind them.

 

They pushed our group of 59 to the front of the line and checked us in.. by this time we are 30 minutes PAST our take off time. We then have to go through security. The one young girl gets pulled out and sent to a separate line. Her friend asks what was going on.. here she had been selected for a special security check. (there was a group of about 15 randomly selected passengers) We all tried to explain we were running for a plane. The security guard said the captain of the plane would need to contact him if there was a problem.

 

The other young girl asked us to let them know they were stuck at security and she was going to wait for her friend. Her friend had mentioned numerous times about her fear of flying. We told them "don't worry we will tell them".

 

As we are hurrying through the airport we hear "last call for flight xxx. I have a very bad knee and almost went down trying to run. Someone in of those little cars stopped and told us to jump on. When we got to the area I ran up to the attendant there and told him about the young ladies's problems. His response was "Thank you for letting us know". When I gave my ticket I heard them saying "that's it" I told a different attendant the same story, her response "thank you for letting us know". As they closed the door behind me we heard them laughing " guess those girls will be spending the night in the airport".

 

I was soooo furious.. there was nothing funny about this situation. Why they didn't pull us out of line way before that I don't know. Those young ladies were at the airport 3 hrs ahead of their scheduled flight. They had done everything they were supposed to do and to have employees of that airline think it was funny was a disgrace.

 

For our money and from our experience Tampa is the best port in Florida. We absolutely loved it.

[timmy1958]

Can't speak about cruise-the-same-day experience, but we LOVED Port Canaveral. Flew down the day before, spent the day at the Radisson Resort at the Port, and took the free shuttle the next morning to the Port. Literally five minutes from hotel to port. Only a 30 minute check-in time before we were on the ship. And did I mention the awesome pool at the Radisson? Other nice hotels in the area, and we had no trouble with dining options. Good luck to you.

[DanJ]

Isn't Ft. Lauderdale airport right next door to the cruise terminal?

 

Pretty close. I've never seen any pictures like this of a plane landing at Miami.

 

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/5848833.jpg

 

[bklsmom]

Well, if you weren't confussed enough:D Here is my take...I live in Fla and I would pick ports/Airports ease of transfers/ease of port/airports like this. First place would be Tampa Airport and Port of Tampa as #1. Both the airport and the Port are easy to maneuvor through...although the drive is about 5 minutes longer from Airport to Port than FLL, the flow of both port/airport is easiest. Also, there are several hotels downtown by the port which have free shuttle to Port with nice pools and also are on the water with nice view. Channelside which is attached to the Carnival cruise teriminal, is a nice place to eat and hang out the night before the cruise, and within walking distance of some hotels. Also adjescent to the cruise terminals is the Florida Aquarium. Parking garage is directly across the street from both cruise terminals, for those who drive to the port and parking is the most resonable of all Fla Port parking.

Next would be FLL. Yes the planes literally fly over the port, but it is a small hub airport and could cost more to fly into, because usually have to change at a larger airport to fly into FLL, can be costly. The ease of movement can get a little congested but still very easy. The port area is not as nice as Tampa. However, there is an alternative park and ride parking that offers supuprb shuttle service to the ship, and parking only cost us $10 per day to park there. Very nice parking service...best we've ever used!

Next, Miami airport/Port. Although it is a 15 minute cab ride from the airport to port, it could take up to 1/2 hour or longer depending on traffic. The area around the port is not quite as nice/safe as other ports, this being said the port itself is laid out rather easily and effeciently considering it is the bussiest port. Parking at the port is $20 per day, Pricey! There is alternative off site parking, which includes free shuttle to the port, which we've used once and will never again! It was a long check in line, even longer waiting for a van to take us to the port, once they crammed us all in the van, they ran out of room for all the luggage and said they would bring the luggage on the next van. Left me a little worried, but it did appear at my cabin door that evening, so I guess they got it there. There are a lot of options for hotels to stay at, I don't know about the free shuttle service to the port though. Bayside is a nice place adjescent to the port, to shop eat before the cruise, however night time in this area is not known to be the safest.

Port Canaveral is quite a distance from the Orlando airport to port, and I can't comment on the parking here. I just know that I would not want to fly into Orlando airport...and most of us who live in Fla, avaoid Orlando/Disney as best as possible. However, if you are wishing to extend your stay in Fla, and want to visit the parks, this may be your best choice. Hotels are endless, parks are endless, food is endless, traffic is endless, and your pockets better be endless as well, LOL:D

I can't comment on Jacksonville at all, as I don't go out of there due primarilly to not wanting to do just a Bahamas run...But Jacksonville is a wonder and beautiful city, and a visit here is worth a trip!!

Hope this helps...and again, just my personal observation!

[jdvmd]

Fort Lauderdale without a doubt for us.

[Tapi]

...Next would be FLL. Yes the planes literally fly over the port, but it is a small hub airport and could cost more to fly into, because usually have to change at a larger airport to fly into FLL, can be costly....

 

That information is not quite accurate...

 

Ft. Lauderdale is not a small hub airport. In fact, it has more arrivals, departures, and moves more passengers than Tampa (Around 25 million people fly through Ft. Lauderdale every year vs. 19 million for Tampa). Ft. Lauderdale ranks as the 22nd busiest airport in the USA.

 

Just like Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale is served by low cost carriers like Jet Blue, Air Tran, and Southwest. Also, low cost carrier Spirit has it's min hub at Ft. Lauderdale. Finally, Delta Air Lines has a very strong presence.

[misguidedangel]

I have cruised out of Port Everglades (FLL) and Miami. Miami has a better embarkation/port check in area and it is NOT confusing like Port Everglades was when I went out of there in April. As far as airports go, well, Miami has a nice terminal for all airlines other than American, but to get to the gates can be a walk for transborder flights. FLL airport was smaller and had less to offer, but the terminal itelf was smaller and less walking, especially if you have a lot of carry on in tow!!!

 

I love the Caribbean--the water, the calm seas, and the variety of ports!!!! Mexico is Mexico and once for me will be enough....

[katiel53]

Port Canaveral is quite a distance from the Orlando airport to port, and I can't comment on the parking here. I just know that I would not want to fly into Orlando airport...and most of us who live in Fla, avaoid Orlando/Disney as best as possible. However, if you are wishing to extend your stay in Fla, and want to visit the parks, this may be your best choice. Hotels are endless, parks are endless, food is endless, traffic is endless, and your pockets better be endless as well, LOL:D

 

I also live in Florida and I realize this is just your opinion, but we must talk to or know different people. We don't avoid Disney and fly into Orlando often. I do agree things are expensive at Disney, but many, many people who live in Florida have year round passes to Disney.

 

Back to the question asked by the OP

 

I haven't sailed from Tampa, so I can't tell you about that airport and port. I have sailed from Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Port Canaveral. Even though it is an hour from the airport to the port, I love sailing from Pt Canaveral. The people working at the pier are far nicer, IMO, than the other airports.

 

I think sailing from Miami is the worst of all. Not only are the port people rude, my experience is that there is way too much traffic trying to get in and out of the port. The airport itself is huge and lots of rude people. It's crazy there!

 

Fort Lauderdale is a bit better than Miami. The airport is close to the port, but still a lot of traffic getting to the port. This would be my second choice.

 

I would like to refer you to a site that has a lot of info about Pt Canaveral. It might give you enough info for you to change your mind about flying to Orlando and getting to the port. The page has lots of info, but if you have time to read more of the thread, you will get a ton of info.

 

No matter which port you choose, enjoy your trip.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=16572349&postcount=5024

[toad455]

Based on past experiences:

 

1. Tampa - The airport is never congested and there's only one or two ships in the port of Tampa. Have never add any delays getting from the airport to the pier in Tampa.

 

2. Ft. Lauderdale - Easily the shortest ride from the aiport to the pier, it just matters how many ships are in port that can slow things down. Love seeing the ships in port as the plane lands.

 

3(tie). Jacksonville/Port Canaveral - never sailed out of these ports, but based on my past experiences with Miami, they rank ahead.

 

5. Miami - airport is always a nightmare and so is the pier. Always numerous ships in port and very congested. Haved sailed out of Miami several times in the pastand my family and I avoid booking cruises out of Miami because it's always been crazy.