How to Get From the Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) to the Miami Cruise Port

Flying into the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and not sure how to get the Port of Miami? We recommend taking Uber or Lyft, as its the best combination of cost and convenience. That said, you do have multiple options.

Miami skyline from a cruise ship.
When it comes to getting from Fort Lauderdale to Miami for a cruise, you have several options across price ranges.

It’s good news for cruise passengers that the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area has multiple airports that you can use. That gives you the ability to shop flights to different airports, often finding a route that gives you a cheaper price or better schedule.

That said, there’s no question that flying into Miami International Airport is the most convenient option if you are sailing from the Port of Miami. The Miami airport is just about 10 miles away. There are a number of ways to get from Miami International (MIA) to the cruise port.

But if you can find a cheaper deal flying into Fort Lauderdale — or if they have better flight times for you — then you can still make it to the port easily. 

Transportation From the Fort Lauderdale Airport and the Port of Miami

The Fort Lauderdale airport is about 25 miles north of the Port of Miami. No matter what mode of transportation you take, expect the ride to take at least 45 minutes — sometimes longer given South Florida’s notorious traffic.

Fort Lauderdale to the Port of Miami
It takes about 45 minutes to get from the Fort Lauderdale airport to the Port of Miami. With traffic, however, that time can be even greater. Map data: Google

The good news is that many cruises depart on the weekend when traffic should be lighter. That means traffic is normally not too bad for many cruise passengers. If you are flying in the day of your cruise, we’d suggest a flight that arrives at least two hours before your embarkation time to give you plenty of leeway to make it to the port on time.

With cruising and tourism being such big business in the region, there are plenty of ways for you to get you from the Fort Lauderdale airport to the Miami cruise terminal. We goin into details of each below, but this table should give you an idea of their estimated prices:

Chart showing prices of transportation options between Fort Lauderdale and Miami.

Uber/Lyft (Recommended)

cars waiting for Uber and Lyft in Fort Lauderdale
The pick-up area for Uber/Lyft at Fort Lauderdale airport. These services can get you to the Miami port relatively quickly and for not too much money.

If you are traveling with two or more people, then using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft is usually your best option on getting from the Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami. These services offer pickup at the airport in designated pickup areas located between terminals and provide service directly to the Port of Miami (or anywhere else in the area you want to go, such as hotels).

If you’ve never used a rideshare service, they are simple. You download Uber or Lyft to your smartphone. Once downloaded, you can set up your account in the app. Your account is tied to a credit card, so no money changes hands — it’s all taken care of through the app. When you arrive in Fort Lauderdale, simply pull up Uber or Lyft and request a ride. It normally takes less than 5 minutes for your car to arrive.

The cost of an Uber or Lyft is estimated at $40-45 each way, for up to four people (pricing is based per car, not per person). Larger vehicles are also available for a higher price.

We’ve personally used this method to get back and forth between the airport and cruise port. It was convenient, quick, and relatively inexpensive given the distance.

Taxis

Taxis are another option from the Fort Lauderdale airport to the Miami cruise port, however, they are more expensive than using a rideshare like Uber and Lyft. The estimated cost is about $85 each way. That’s about $40-45 more each way than a rideshare.

While taxi cabs are a more expensive way to the port, if you aren’t comfortable using Uber/Lyft, then cabs are a widely-available option. Once at the airport, simply follow the ground transportation signs to be directed to the area where taxis will be waiting.

The good thing about cabs is that you don’t have to wait on a ride. Simply arrive at the airport, grab a cab, and be on your way.

Shared Shuttle

If there are lots of people headed from the airport to the cruise port, it makes sense that they can share a shuttle. There are a number of services in the area that provide rides between the airport and cruise ports.

For instance, the GO Airport Shuttle, provides a ride (ranging from smaller car all the way to a shuttle van) back and forth from the cruise port. These ways to the port are often economical if traveling with a larger group. 

Other Shared Shuttles
Of course with some many people flying in to head to cruises, there is an industry that revolves around providing a shuttle back and forth. In addition to the GO Airport Shuttle, there are lots of shuttle companies in South Florida. In general, expect to pay between $25-40 per person, each way.

Note that we don’t recommend or suggest against any particular company as we haven’t used them. All of the following, however, can give you a good start for your search.

Shuttle Companies: Quick Shuttle, Express Shuttle Miami, South Florida Shuttles

Cruise Line Transfers

The cruise lines offer service between the Fort Lauderdale airport and the Port of Miami. The bad news is that they can be pricey and not very flexible (you’re on their schedule, not vice versa). As well, cruise line transfers are offered only on the day of the cruise and can’t make any stops on your way to the port like a taxi or Uber/Lyft may be able to do.

But the good news is that your transportation is taken care of by the cruise line so there isn’t a danger of missing the ship if your transfer arrives late.

For pricing, you’ll want to check your specific cruise line. However, expect it to be more expensive than most other options. For instance, Carnival provides transfers from the Fort Lauderdale to Miami for around $37 per person, each way. Expect other lines to be in that same ballpark.

Public Transportation

There is a public transportation option from Fort Lauderdale to the Miami cruise port. It’s inexpensive, but can take time and several transfers.

Want to get to Port of Miami from Fort Lauderdale as cheaply as possible? While it’s not the most convenient route to the port, there is public transportation that will take you from the airport to the cruise port.

All told, expect the trip to take between an hour and a hour-and-a-half, depending on how long you have to wait on transfers. The good news? It will only cost you between $5-8 each way. The bad news is it can take some time and several transfers.

We have full step-by-step details of the route you’ll take here. As a summary, here is the route you will take:

  1. FLA-1 Commuter Connector at airport –> Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport Station at Dania Beach for Tri-Rail (Free)
  2. Tri-Rail Station –> Metrorail Transfer/Tri-Rail Station ($2.50-$5.00)
  3. Metrorail Green Line –> Brickell Station ($2.25)
  4. Miami Trolley (Coral Way Route) –> Port of Miami (Free)

While this is an affordable way to get to the ship, we think it might be a bit overwhelming for out-of-towners. For that reason we suggest other modes of transportation.

Hotels With Shuttles

There’s good news and bad news when it comes to Fort Lauderdale hotels offering cruise shuttles. The good news is that there are a number of hotels near the airport and cruise port with shuttles. The bad news is that few if any of the Fort Lauderdale hotels with shuttle offer rides to the Miami cruise port.

In other words, if you are sailing from Fort Lauderdale then you have a lot of options of hotels with shuttles. But if you are flying into Fort Lauderdale to sail from Miami, it’s a better idea to commute into Miami and then stay at a Miami hotel with a cruise port shuttle. You can find dozens of hotel options with shuttles within just a few minutes of the Miami cruise port here.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. More a question than a reply.

    What mode of transportation would be best for a person in a wheel chair.
    We need to go from Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami, do an overnight and then on to the Miami cruise port.
    There will be four of us (only one in a wheelchair )

    • That would depend on the person and their ability to be transferred in an out of a car. If they can transfer easily, then any mode of transportation would be fine, including things like Uber/Lyft.

      That said, we have seen taxi cabs that are accessible. You might want to call a Fort Lauderdale taxi company and explain the situation. You might be able to reserve a ride with them at that time too.

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