A short ride that can switch on a toll-day fee
Miami International sits 7.1 miles from the cruise terminals by the port’s own figure, and the port says most cruise lines run a transfer from it.
Drive it yourself and there’s one toll on the way, a Dolphin Expressway gantry. In a rental from Enterprise, Alamo or National that single gantry switches on a $4.95 toll-day fee, on top of the toll itself at the by-plate rate.
Start from an assumed $45 day, add an assumed 10% airport fee, the $2 state surcharge, Miami-Dade’s tax, fuel and that toll day, and the one-way lands near $63, while a metered cab for the same run comes to about $34 by our estimate.
Then the car has to go back to a downtown desk before the last shuttle to the pier leaves at 1:30 — more money, and a deadline besides.
Which Miami cruiser are you?
In Miami the airport outweighs the group, not the other way round; after that, the Keys or Orlando on either side of the ship tip the close ones.
26 miles from FLL, about 70 from Palm Beach
| Starting at | Rental, one way, everything in | What it replaces | Call |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIA, 7.1 miles | $63 | A cab at about $34 on the meter (our estimate), or your cruise line’s transfer | Cab or transfer |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL), 26 miles | $59 | $86 by taxi (FLL’s estimate), or $160 for a private car carrying four | Rent |
| Palm Beach (DJT), about 70 miles | $71 | $425 for a private car carrying four | Rent, by a wide margin |
The rentals are our arithmetic for two travelers and a single day: a $45 base rate and a 10% airport fee, both assumed, then the $2 state surcharge, the pickup county’s sales tax and fuel. On the MIA row we add the $4.95 that Enterprise, Alamo and National charge for a toll day, plus the Dolphin Expressway toll at the by-plate rate. The private-car prices come from Florida Sunshine Shuttle’s own site. Illustrative
Fort Lauderdale is where the answer flips — and not by a little. FLL’s own taxi estimate to the port is $86, and a one-way that keeps to I-95’s free general lanes comes in well under it.
Palm Beach isn’t even a contest — a private car for four at $425, against a one-way near $71 for the same trip.
Pack the car seats and size up the car
The seat rule travels with the child, not with the car. Florida wants anyone 5 or under in a crash-tested restraint, and until age 4 that has to be a carrier or an integrated seat; at 4 and 5 a booster also counts.
Rented seats cost real money: Avis quotes “usually” $14 a day up to $84 a rental, and Budget $14.50 up to $87. Avis also adds $50 if the seat ends up somewhere other than where it started — which is exactly how a one-way works.
American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue all check car seats for free, by their own policies.
Bring yours — and put what you save toward a bigger car.
| Enterprise’s US classes | Midsize | Standard SUV | Full-size SUV | Minivan, 7 seats | Minivan, 8 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Bags | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
The full-size SUV seats seven but lists three bags, apparently with its third row up; for six or seven with cruise luggage, the 7-passenger minivan is the one that fits. Checked Sept 27, 2026
The Keys, Miami Beach, a night by the airport
| Your plan | Car? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Landing at MIA on sail morning | No | Seven miles, and most cruise lines run a transfer from MIA, per the port. Every ride from MIA. |
| Landing at Fort Lauderdale | Yes | A one-way undercuts FLL’s $86 taxi estimate. FLL to PortMiami. |
| Landing at Palm Beach | Yes | Next to a $425 private car it isn’t close. Palm Beach to PortMiami. |
| Orlando or Disney before the ship | Yes for four or more; bus or train for two | A car is priced by the car, not by the rider, while bus and train fares are per seat. Orlando to PortMiami. |
| The Keys before or after | Yes | The Overseas Highway is the reason to rent, not just the way down. The Keys and your cruise. |
| A night on Miami Beach | No | Valet at the beach and downtown hotels we checked runs $52–$76 a night. Miami Beach before your cruise. |
| A night near MIA | No | Several airport hotels drive guests to the ship. The night before. |
| Driving your own car down | Skip the rental | Most port garages charge $25 a day overnight. Parking, compared. |
What Miami cruisers ask about renting
Do I need a car for a PortMiami cruise?
If you’re flying into Miami International, no: the port puts it 7.1 miles away, and most cruise lines run transfers from it. You’ll want one when your flight lands at Fort Lauderdale or Palm Beach, when the trip begins in Orlando, or when the Florida Keys come before or after the ship.
Is a rental cheaper than a taxi from MIA to PortMiami?
Usually the cab wins. Miami-Dade taxis run on the meter, which by our estimate comes to about $34 for the 8.6-mile drive; a one-way rental on an assumed $45 day climbs to about $63 once airport charges, tax, the surcharge and one day of the rental company’s toll program are counted.
Flying into Fort Lauderdale for a Miami cruise: rent or taxi?
Rent, most of the time. FLL puts a taxi to the Port of Miami at $86, while a one-way rental kept to I-95’s free general lanes often works out to about $59.
Can I leave a rental car at PortMiami while I cruise?
Most port garages will take it at $25 a day overnight, but that sits on top of the rental itself for every night at sea. Two one-ways — one before the ship, one after — almost always cost less.
More on renting around a PortMiami cruise
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