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Getting There · PortMiami

Nearest Airports to PortMiami

Two airports are in play. Miami International is 7 miles from the ship and has the flights. Fort Lauderdale is 26 miles up I-95. Here’s what each one means for getting to the port.

7.1 miMIA to the port, per the port
25.7 miFLL to the port, per the port
172nonstop destinations from MIA
From $15shared ride from MIA

Landing on sail day?

Tell us when you land and we’ll show which rides still work.

Airport
Scheduled landing
The short answer

Fly into Miami International if you can. PortMiami puts MIA 7.1 miles away, and the airport flies nonstop to 172 destinations on 92 airlines.

Fort Lauderdale is 25.7 miles out by the port’s count, and FLL itself tells cruisers to allow at least 90 minutes at rush hour. It works when the flight is clearly better, ideally the day before. Palm Beach’s airport, now called DJT, is a long way to come for a Miami ship.

Pick MIA if

  • You want the shortest ride to the port
  • You want a cruise-line transfer or a shared shuttle
  • You might land close to noon

Pick FLL if

  • The flight or fare beats MIA for your city
  • You’re landing the day before
  • You’re sailing Carnival and can land by 11:30 AM

Pick DJT if

  • You’re starting from Palm Beach County anyway
  • You’re flying in at least a day early
The Map

Two roads into one port

From MIA, Norwegian’s directions take S.R. 836 east through the tolls to I-395, then Biscayne Boulevard to Port Boulevard and over the bridge. The port also has a toll-free tunnel from I-395 and the MacArthur Causeway. Your cruise documents name your terminal.

ATLANTIC BISCAYNE BAY MIAMI BEACH S.R. 836 · DOLPHIN EXPY · TOLLS I-95 I-395 CAUSEWAY DOWNTOWN PORTMIAMIbridge + tunnel MIA7.1–10 mi · 15–30 min FLL25.7–27 mi · 35–60+ min DJT ↑Palm Beach, far north
Tolls, per Norwegian’s directionsOther roadSchematic, not to scale
The Airports

The three, side by side

Closest, most flights
MIA
Miami International Airport
To the port
7.1–10 miles · 15–30 min
PortMiami says 7.1 miles; MIA says about 9. Norwegian and MSC put the drive at about 20 minutes, Holland America at 25, and Carnival’s transfer at 30.
Flights
92 airlines, 172 nonstops
The airport’s own figures for August 2026: 31 U.S. and 61 international airlines. It handled about 55.3 million passengers in 2025.
Getting picked up
Cruise buses at D and J
Pre-arranged cruise-line transfers leave from the North bus station (Concourse D, level 1, Door 1) or the South bus station (Concourse J, level 1, Door 33). Taxis wait outside baggage claim, and rideshare picks up on levels 1 and 2. MIA says to ignore ride offers from solicitors inside the terminal.
Up I-95
FLL
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
To the port
25.7–27 miles · 35 min to an hour+
PortMiami says 25.7 miles. FLL says about 45 minutes without traffic and to allow at least 90 at rush hour. Carnival’s transfer takes about an hour.
Flights
Nonstops to dozens of cities
Neither FLL nor Visit Lauderdale publishes a route count, so we won’t guess one.
Getting picked up
Desks by baggage claim
FLL points cruisers to rideshare, taxis and Tri-Rail, which runs a free shuttle from the terminals to its station. Rideshare picks up on the lower level; Terminals 3 and 4 use the Palm Garage. FLL’s own pages put a taxi to PortMiami at about $67 on one page and $86 on another.
Formerly PBI
DJT
President Donald J. Trump International
To the port
No distance published
None of the port, airport or cruise-line pages we read gives one. Florida Sunshine Shuttle charges $425 for a private van for up to four.
Flights
12 airlines
More than 200 daily nonstop arrivals and departures, to the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean, per the airport. The code changed from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026, so search flights under DJT.
Getting picked up
Level 1 and Level 3
Taxis and car services book at the Ground Transportation desk outside the west end of Level 1. Rideshare uses the outer curb of Level 3. Tri-Rail runs from West Palm Beach to Miami.
The Ride

What the ride to the ship costs

Pick your airport and how many of you are riding. Shared rides and transfers charge per person, private vans charge by the size of the group, and a car is one price, so the cheapest answer changes with your party.

Travelers
Cruise Shuttle Miami, shared (from)—
Carnival transfer, Carnival guests only—
Uber’s own route estimate (Dec 2024)—
Florida Sunshine Shuttle, private van—
GO Airport Shuttle, private car (from)—
Carnival transfer, Carnival guests only (from)—
Uber’s own route estimate—
Taxi, FLL’s cruise-page estimate—
Florida Sunshine Shuttle, private van—
GO Airport Shuttle, private car (from)—
Florida Sunshine Shuttle, private van—

One way, before tip, as each company published it on September 25, 2026. “From” prices are the lowest a company shows; your quote may be higher. Florida Sunshine adds a surcharge for bookings within 7 days and $125 for a pickup before 10:30 AM to a cruise port. Miami-Dade taxis from MIA run on the meter ($2.95 for the first sixth of a mile, a $15 minimum and a $2 airport surcharge), so there’s no flat fare to list. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC and Celebrity sell transfers too, but didn’t publish a price we could read.

Sail-Day Landing

Landing on sail day? Check your options

Carnival’s transfers stop taking sail-day arrivals around midday. Princess’s guideline for Miami is to land at least 3 hours before the ship leaves on a domestic flight, or 5 on an international one. Enter your scheduled landing time.

  • Carnival transfer (Carnival guests)$22.99 pp. Your flight must land by 12:00 PM; transfers run 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM.—
  • Cruise Shuttle Miami, sharedFrom $15 pp. No landing cut-off is published. Get a quote for your flight.—
  • Private van or carFlorida Sunshine Shuttle from $110 for up to four, GO Airport Shuttle from $138. Book ahead: Florida Sunshine adds $125 for a pickup before 10:30 AM to a cruise port.—
  • Taxi, rideshare or Metrorail and trolleyNo cut-off, as long as you reach the terminal inside your line’s check-in window.—
  • Carnival transfer (Carnival guests)From $36.99 pp. One departure at 12:00 PM; your flight must land by 11:30 AM.—
  • Private van or carFlorida Sunshine Shuttle from $160 for up to four, GO Airport Shuttle from $138. No landing cut-off is published.—
  • Taxi or rideshareNo cut-off, but FLL says to allow at least 90 minutes to the port at rush hour.—
  • Florida Sunshine Shuttle, private van$425 for up to four. No drive time is published, so leave plenty of room.—
  • Taxi, rideshare or car serviceNo cut-off, but it’s the longest ride of the three. We’d only land here on sail day with hours to spare.—

Whatever the ride, your cruise line’s check-in window is the real deadline. It’s printed in your boarding documents. A delayed flight eats into it fast, which is why so many cruisers fly in the day before.

Take the clock off sail day

Land the day before. Wake up by the ship.

Twenty hotels near the port, ranked on shuttles, parking and breakfast. Tell us your sail date and we’ll book the night before.

Find my best three
Coming Home

The morning you’re back

Ships clear early, flights leave late, and the gap in between is the part nobody plans. Put in your flight and this works out the ride, the wait, and what to do with the bags.

Partner links (transfers, rental cars, luggage storage, lounges) may earn Seabound Journeys a commission at no extra cost to you. They don't change the plan, which is built only from what each company publishes.

Train and Trolley

Can you get to the port without a car?

From MIA, yes, with two changes. The port’s own directions: take Metrorail’s Orange Line to Government Center, Metromover to Freedom Tower, then the free City of Miami Coral Way Trolley across the PortMiami bridge. It stops across from the Terminal J garage, across from the Terminal E lot, and across from the port’s offices. It’s the cheapest way and the slowest, with two changes and your luggage.

Brightline stops at MiamiCentral downtown, which MSC and Royal Caribbean put about 10 minutes by car from the port. Brightline runs a connector shuttle from MIA to MiamiCentral, and from FLL to its Fort Lauderdale station, for $12 a person plus a $3 fuel surcharge with a same-day Brightline ticket.

One thing we couldn’t confirm: PortMiami’s site mentions a Brightline “Vacation Service” to the port, but Brightline’s own pages don’t. Call Brightline before you plan around it.

Fly In Early

Flying in the day before

The day-before flight is the one move that takes the sail-day cut-offs off the table. You have two ways to do it.

Stay by MIA and ride over in the morning. Six of our top twenty are airport hotels with a free MIA shuttle, and four of those run or sell the ride to the ship. Or stay downtown, across the bridge from the terminals, and take a short taxi in the morning.

Pre-cruise hotels

Or wake up by the ship

Twenty hotels near the port, ranked on shuttles, cruise parking, breakfast and distance. Here are the top six.

See all twenty →
178/100
Comfort Inn & Suites Airport
A free ride to the ship in the morning, $12-a-night parking and free hot breakfast, next to Miami International — the highest-scoring pre-cruise setup we found in Miami.
Hold a room →
275/100
Comfort Suites Airport North
The same free morning ride to the ship and $12-a-night parking as the Comfort Inn nearby, in an all-suite building.
Hold a room →
371/100
Sonesta Miami Airport
The one hotel in our top twenty that publishes sail-morning departure times — 9:00 and 11:00 AM, $17 a person, bags handled.
Hold a room →
471/100
Comfort Inn Downtown Brickell
The only downtown hotel in our top twenty that publishes a price for its own shuttle to the ship — $12 a person — with free hot breakfast.
Hold a room →
567/100
Hampton Inn Blue Lagoon
One package covers the night, a week of parking, hot breakfast and the ride to the ship for two.
Hold a room →
661/100
SpringHill Suites Medical Center
Free one-way transport to the port in its Breakfast to Boarding offer, and breakfast is free every morning anyway.
Hold a room →

Airport to hotel, by airport

These are the rides our twenty list from each airport, and the ones that also get you to the ship.

MIAMiami International
Hotels with a ride from here
Airport ride and a ride to the ship
FLLFort Lauderdale-Hollywood
Hotels with a ride from here
  • None of the twenty lists one from here.
Airport ride and a ride to the ship
  • None of the twenty does both from here.

Every hotel, both airports, side by side: the Getting There table.

Where to stay
The 20 best hotels for the night before
Ranked on shuttles, cruise parking, breakfast and distance, from what each hotel publishes.
Driving instead?
PortMiami parking, compared
Every garage by terminal, off-site lots and park-and-cruise hotels.
FAQ

PortMiami airport FAQ

What is the closest airport to PortMiami?

Miami International (MIA). PortMiami puts it 7.1 miles away, and MIA says about 9 miles. Cruise lines put the drive at 15 to 25 minutes in normal traffic.

Should I fly into Miami or Fort Lauderdale for a Miami cruise?

Miami for most people. It's closest, it flies nonstop to 172 destinations, and cruise lines run transfers from it. Fort Lauderdale is 25.7 miles away by the port's count, and FLL tells cruisers to allow at least 90 minutes at rush hour. Pick it when the flight is clearly better, and fly in a day early.

How much is a taxi from Miami airport to PortMiami?

There's no flat fare anymore. Miami-Dade eliminated flat fares, so taxis run on the meter: $2.95 for the first sixth of a mile, a $15 minimum for trips that start at MIA, and a $2 airport surcharge. Uber's own route page estimated $28 in December 2024. Carnival's shared transfer is $22.99 a person.

Can I fly into Fort Lauderdale for a PortMiami cruise?

Yes. It's about 26 miles. Carnival runs one transfer at 12:00 PM for flights landing by 11:30 AM, from $36.99 a person. Florida Sunshine Shuttle's private vans start at $160 for up to four, and FLL's own pages put a taxi at about $67 on one page and $86 on another.

Can I fly in on the morning of my cruise?

You can, but leave room. Carnival's MIA transfer needs you on the ground by noon, and its FLL transfer by 11:30 AM. Princess's guideline for Miami is to land at least 3 hours before the ship leaves on a domestic flight, or 5 on an international one. After that it's a taxi, a rideshare or a private car, and your line's check-in window is the real deadline.

Is there a train from the airport to PortMiami?

Not straight there. The port's own directions use Metrorail's Orange Line from MIA to Government Center, Metromover to Freedom Tower, then the free Coral Way Trolley across the port bridge. Brightline stops at MiamiCentral downtown, about 10 minutes by car from the port.

What happened to Palm Beach International (PBI)?

It's now President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The new name took effect July 9, 2026, and the airport's code changed from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026, so search flights under DJT.

Sources, read September 25, 2026: miamidade.gov/portmiami — cruise FAQmiamidade.gov/portmiami — directions and transportationmiamidade.gov/portmiami — parkingmiami-airport.com — ground transportationmiami-airport.com — taxis and shuttlesmiami-airport.com — Facts at a Glance, Aug 2026miamidade.gov — taxi faresbroward.org/airport — cruise passengersbroward.org/airport — transportationflydjt.org — aboutflydjt.org — name change FAQsflydjt.org — taxiscarnival.com — Miami airport transferscarnival.com — MIA transfercarnival.com — FLL transferprincess.com — flight guidelinesncl.com — driving directionsmsccruisesusa.com — Miamicruiseshuttlemiami.comfloridasunshineshuttle.com — Port of Miamigowithus.com — MIAgowithus.com — FLLuber.com — MIA to Port of Miamiuber.com — FLL to Port of Miamigobrightline.com — airport connectorroyalcaribbean.com — Brightline to the cruise port

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