The wonderful list of tips and resources below courtesy of Pedal Goa
Cruising from Florida offers you all sorts of opportunities for a Caribbean cruise.
As if deciding which cruise ports in the Caribbean you want to pick isn’t enough decision making (Puerto Rico, Cozumel, Bahamas… to start. 😉 ), there are a few more things you may want to look at.
One of the things you might look at in choosing a cruise from Florida is how to get from the airport to the cruise port.
You may also want to check what some things to do near the cruise port are so you can spend a few extra days in Florida before or after your cruise.
And… you may want to find some hotels near the cruise port!
And so, on this page is a list of:
- How far the airport is from the cruise ports of different cruises from Florida
- Things to do before or after your cruise
- Hotel alternatives before or after your cruise
- Cruise lines out of Florida
Flying into Florida a few days before your cruise
If you’re flying to catch your cruise, arriving a day or two earlier can help to ease the stress and give you a chance to relax before your cruise begins.
This is especially true if you’re going on a cruise coming from the north and taking a winter cruise. You can’t predict when a snow storm will hit. For a summer cruise, it could be thunderstorms.
And when one major city’s airport has flights that are affected, it could have a ripple effect across the country. This means that even if your home airport has no signs of blizzard conditions or severe weather, your flight could be affected.
And if your cruise starts on the same day you’re set to fly in, that could be cause for some major stress! (This is also one of the reasons you may want to consider cruise insurance!)
Alternative to finding hotels near your Florida cruise port
Whether you’re driving or flying to the cruise port, if you’re staying in Florida for a few days to explore, that’s when staying in an airbnb home instead of a hotel can be even more worth it!
Not only is there a good chance that you’ll save a few dollars over hotels with prime real estate in the big cities, an airbnb can provide a more localized experience while giving you a more “home-away-from-home” feeling with a bunch of amenities you don’t get from a hotel.
It also can be a good way to stay in a really good location for a really good price! (Think beachfront without having to pay top beachfront hotel prices like these home-like stays!) You may be able to even find an airbnb home that rents out a whole house for the price of a hotel room.
Have a look at airbnbs near your cruise port!
Cruising from Florida
Included in the sections below are also links of things to do in each of the cities to help you further decide (or further complicate your decision 😉 ) which cruise port in Florida you want to start off your Caribbean cruise!
Port Miami: Miami cruises, South Florida
Distance from Miami airport to Port Miami: 10 miles / 20 minutes
Distance from Fort Lauderdale airport to Port Miami: 30 miles / 45 minutes
Miami and Fort Lauderdale are about 30 miles apart.
The Everglades National Park covers much of the tip of South Florida, and it can make a good add-on cruise excursion when you have a cruise from Miami.
Miami hotels with free shuttle to the cruise port
Things to do in Fort Lauderdale
Things to do at Everglades National Park
Port Everglades: Fort Lauderdale cruises, South Florida
Distance from Miami airport to the Port Everglades: 30 miles / 45 minutes
Distance from Fort Lauderdale airport to Port Everglades: 4 miles / 15 minutes
Once again, since the Everglades National Park covers South Florida, it can be a good add-on cruise excursion when you have a cruise from Fort Lauderdale.
Things to do in Fort Lauderdale
Things to do at Everglades National Park
Port Canaveral: Orlando cruises, Central Florida
Distance from Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral: 45 miles / 40 minutes
As if a cruise isn’t enough fun on its own 😉 if you’re taking a cruise with kids, you may want to tack on a few days to your vacation at Disney World before or after the cruise. The Disney World resort is about 20 miles from the Orlando airport. Here are tips and ideas to think about which side of the cruise to head there, before or after!
Port Tampa: Tampa cruises, West Central Florida
Distance from Tampa Airport to Port Tampa: 8 miles / 15 minutes
Disney World is 70 miles from Port Tampa.
Jaxport Cruise Terminal: Jacksonville cruises, Northeastern Florida
Distance from Jacksonville Airport to Jaxport Cruise Terminal: 12 miles / 25 minutes
St. Augustine is about 45 miles from the Jaxport Cruise Terminal.
Cruise lines out of Florida
Florida serves as one of the major hubs for cruises to the Caribbean, cruises to the Bahamas, and cruises to Bermuda.
As a result, all of the major cruise lines that operate Caribbean cruises have cruises out of Florida.
This includes: