Port Everglades cruise port: A guide to cruising from Fort Lauderdale
With 10 cruise lines sailing out of Port Everglades (and more to come) and 3 million-plus passengers annually, Fort Lauderdale’s cruise port is the third busiest in the country — behind PortMiami and Port Canaveral (near Orlando).
Ships sail from Port Everglades mainly to the Bahamas, Mexico and the Caribbean, but many travelers choose to make Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beaches and waterways part of their vacation plans with pre- and post-cruise stays.
Arguably one of the best aspects of flying into and sailing out of Fort Lauderdale is the fact that Port Everglades is conveniently located less than 2 miles from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). In fact, it’s the closest cruise port to any airport in the country, which makes it easy to access for out-of-towners who want to fly in and cruise out on the same day.
Port Everglades is also an easy port to depart from on debarkation day because passengers can use Global Entry and the Mobile Passport Control app to skip long customs queues at the terminal.
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If you’ve booked a cruise sailing out of Port Everglades, this is your guide to everything you need to know about cruising from Fort Lauderdale. Discover which airport is best, which hotels to book and where to park, eat, shop and explore with your extra time in Fort Lauderdale.
All you have to worry about is enjoying the vistas of Fort Lauderdale’s sandy shoreline as your ship sails out to sea.
Port Everglades cruise port overview
Port Everglades cruise terminal information
Address: 1850 Eller Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Number of terminals: 8
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Each cruise terminal is fully accessible, and parking fees are waived at all Port Everglades lots and garages for disabled persons driving their vehicles to the port.
Luggage storage is not available at the port.
Cruise lines sailing from Port Everglades
Terminal 2: Princess Cruises
Terminal 4: Disney Cruise Line
Terminal 18: Royal Caribbean
Terminal 19: Holland America
Terminal 21: Holland America and Princess Cruises
Terminal 25: Celebrity Cruises
Terminal 26: Holland America
Terminal 29: Celebrity Cruises, Holland America and Royal Caribbean
Other cruise lines sailing out of Port Everglades include Azamara, Crystal, Cunard, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Silversea and Viking. These ships are slotted to sail out of available terminals.
To access the cruise schedule, download the CruiseSchedule Port Everglades app.
Related: The best credit cards for booking cruises
Airports near Fort Lauderdale cruise port
Cruisers sailing out of Port Everglades have two major South Florida airport options when booking flights: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Miami International Airport (MIA).
Most travelers prefer to fly into FLL because it’s so close to Port Everglades, making transfers much quicker and cheaper than from MIA. In fact, it’s possible to book a same-day flight and get to your ship within an hour of your flight landing.
MIA offers more daily flights on the whole. If you’re flying in from overseas, MIA also offers more international flight options. Miami’s airport might also be more appealing if you’re a member of an airline loyalty program or a cardholder who wants to prioritize lounge access.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is the nearest airport to Port Everglades. Only 1.8 miles away, it’s the closest airport to a cruise port in the country. Major carriers, including Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines, all fly into Fort Lauderdale’s airport.
If you need to kill time between the cruise disembarkation and your flight time, the airport offers a United Club Lounge and a Delta Sky Club for passengers of those airlines, as well as an Escape Lounge in Terminal 3 that’s open to all travelers in that terminal for a fee. FLL does not have a Priority Pass lounge, but Priority Pass members with restaurant perks get a dining discount at the Kafe Kalik restaurant in Terminal 4. (This perk might not be available to travelers with a membership through certain credit cards.)
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Miami International Airport
About 40 minutes away from the Fort Lauderdale cruise port (often longer during rush hour), Miami International Airport (MIA) serves most major airlines, including Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, Sun Country Airlines and United.
At MIA, lounge options include an American Airlines Admirals Club and a Flagship Lounge, a Delta Sky Club, an Amex Centurion Lounge for holders of The Platinum Card® from American Express and a Priority Pass lounge called Club America. To get access, you can buy a Priority Pass membership or hold a credit card that offers a membership, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
How to get to the Fort Lauderdale cruise port
Cruise line transfers
Cruise lines often offer transfers from the airport to the cruise port, but they’re usually only available on the day the ship departs. A cruise line transfer wouldn’t be an option for guests flying in earlier.
Cruise line transfers are priced per person, so if you’re traveling with a group from nearby Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, it would be cheaper to split a taxi or an Uber or Lyft instead.
Transportation from FLL to Port Everglades through Disney Cruise Line, for example, is $45 per person each way. The cruise line doesn’t offer transfers from MIA.
Hotel shuttles
Several hotels in the area offer shuttles to the airport for $8 to $15 per person, with select hotels offering complimentary shuttle service to the cruise port.
For more information on hotel options with free or paid shuttles, see the hotel section below.
Independent airport shuttles
Private shuttle companies like Go Airport and South Florida Shuttles offer shared rides from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Port Everglades from $15 to $27 per person. Shared shuttles to the Fort Lauderdale port are not typically available from Miami International Airport.
Independent van and car services
Companies like South Florida Elite Shuttle, Fort Lauderdale Airport Shuttle and Go Airport also offer private cars or vans to Port Everglades from both FLL and MIA.
Transportation from nearby FLL ranges from $65 for three people and three pieces of luggage to $105 for up to 10 passengers and 10 bags with Go Airport. Pricing starts upward of $120 from MIA.
Taxis and ride-hailing services
The average taxi fare from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to Port Everglades is $20. To take a cab from the airport, exit your terminal on the arrivals level and follow the wayfinding signs to the nearest taxi stand.
Ride-hailing services from FLL, like Uber and Lyft, are typically slightly cheaper, often starting as low as $10. This rate can spike during periods of surge pricing, such as when everyone is disembarking the ship and calling for cars at the same time.
If you’re heading to the port from Miami International Airport, the taxi fare to Port Everglades can run upward of $100 one-way. Exit baggage claim to find a taxi on the ground arrivals level.
Uber, on the other hand, can start around $55 for UberX, $70 for Comfort and $100 for Uber XL if you need to fit up to six people and more luggage. Pickup zones for ride-hailing services are stationed outside doors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 15, 20 and 23 on the ground arrivals level. Stand and wait at the middle median.
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Public transportation from nearby airports
From FLL: Broward County’s Route 1 bus service from the Fort Lauderdale airport stops at the Northport section of Port Everglades on SE 17th Street. The bus stop is located at the Rental Car Center, Stop G, at the airport.
From MIA: You can take the Tri-Rail train from Miami International Airport to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport station, with free shuttle buses to the airport terminals. Continue on the bus route above to Port Everglades.
Port Everglades cruise port parking
On-site parking
Port Everglades has two on-site parking garages and three parking lots providing more than 5,500 parking spaces for cruisegoers.
Heron Parking Garage serves Terminals 2 and 4 (with an air-conditioned elevated passenger bridge on the fifth floor that leads directly to Terminal 2), while Palm Parking Garage serves Terminals 19, 21, 25, 26 and 29 with shuttle service to Terminal 29.
Additionally, Lot A serves Terminals 19 and 26, Lot B serves Terminals 18 and 19, and Lot C serves Terminal 18.
Port Everglades’ on-site parking costs $20 per day or $25 for oversized vehicles. If you’re parking for less than a day, it’s $4 for the first hour and $8 for up to five hours.
Park-and-cruise
Beyond the port, several private parking lots provide shuttle service to the cruise port. One of the cheapest park-and-cruise lot options is Park by the Ports, which offers parking rates starting at $9.99 per day. The shuttle is free for the first four passengers and is only about a 10-minute ride to the port.
Park ‘N Go is another reliable option only a few blocks from the port. It has 24-hour staff and free on-demand shuttles to the port that will meet you at your vehicle. This lot starts as low as $10 per day if you reserve online in advance.
With both of these options, reservations are the only way to guarantee yourself a parking spot, but they do accept drive-ups as well.
Tropical Airport Parking is a unique option that lets you park your car at hotels with unused parking spaces. Their prices start at only $7.45 per day, and you must reserve a space in advance. The shuttle to the cruise port costs extra depending on which hotel you choose, so compare the total price to other options when you’re deciding where to park.
Various hotels also offer park-and-cruise arrangements where you can keep your car at the hotel for the duration of your cruise if you stay for at least a night. SpringHill Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port currently offers a hotel package that includes a complimentary round-trip airport shuttle and up to 14 nights of parking for one vehicle (the shuttle to the cruise port is extra).
In other cases, the price for parking is separate from the overnight hotel rate but is usually much cheaper than parking at the cruise port and makes the most sense if you already were planning a precruise hotel stay. Hampton Inn Ft. Lauderdale Airport North Cruise Port and Courtyard Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port, for example, offer post-checkout parking for hotel guests for only $5 to $10 per night and a paid shuttle to the cruise port.
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Hotels near Port Everglades cruise port
Hilton hotels
Some of the closest hotels to Port Everglades are located along the 17th Street Causeway, such as the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina and the Embassy Suites by Hilton Fort Lauderdale 17th Street.
The all-suite Embassy Suites hotel (starting around 42,000 Hilton Honors points per night) is a great family-friendly choice because of its spacious rooms and free made-to-order breakfast. It also offers a complimentary evening reception with snacks and drinks.
For more of a resort experience without sacrificing proximity to the port, the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina (starting around 31,000 points per night) covers transportation to the beach and beach towels in its resort fee. It also offers a rooftop restaurant with views of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, a heated outdoor pool and pool bar, and a lobby lounge and coffee shop. A third-party company offers transportation between the hotel and Port Everglades for $11 per person.
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Marriott hotels
If you’re looking for a more upscale stay on the beach before or after your cruise, check out one of Marriott Bonvoy‘s luxury hotel options on Fort Lauderdale Beach.
The elegant Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale (starting around 59,500 points per night) offers luxurious amenities, such as oceanfront dining at Burlock Coast Seafare & Spirits and a serene beachfront spa. The chic and ultra-modern W Fort Lauderdale (starting around 42,000 points per night) is famed for its Wet Deck pool five floors above the ocean and nightlife at Living Room.
Hyatt hotels
The Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Airport — South & Cruise Port (starting around 9,000 points per night) is a great value hotel option within five minutes of Port Everglades. The family-friendly hotel provides free continental breakfast, an outdoor pool, a gym and a shuttle to the cruise port for $9 per person.
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Non-points hotels
If you’re looking for an affordable, no-frills place to stay overnight before your cruise, Red Carpet Inn Airport/Cruise Port Fort Lauderdale is a budget-friendly hotel about 10 minutes from Port Everglades that offers free shuttles to and from the airport and cruise port.
The free shuttle runs to the airport from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and you can schedule your shuttle to Port Everglades at check-in. The hotel also offers complimentary parking during your stay and a park-and-cruise rate of $10 per day of your cruise.
Another popular value hotel with a free airport and cruise shuttle, Rodeway Inn & Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port also offers complimentary breakfast with your stay.
For an extended beach escape, book a stay at the secluded Pelican Grand Beach Resort, the only resort that’s located directly on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. This luxury boutique hotel on the quieter end of the beach offers relaxing amenities like an oceanfront zero-entry pool, a lazy river and its own private stretch of shoreline.
Restaurants near Port Everglades cruise port
Fort Lauderdale’s most popular dining destination, Las Olas Boulevard, is known as downtown’s main drag of sidewalk cafes, bars, shops and art galleries. You’ll find everything from seafood and steakhouses to tacos, burgers and American bar food. A personal favorite is Louie Bossi’s Ristorante, a high-energy Italian spot for handcrafted pastas, Neapolitan pizzas and an impromptu round of bocce in the outdoor courtyard.
For the local experience, you might enjoy breakfast on the beach at Casablanca Cafe, a restaurant and piano bar in a restored historic home. If it’s lunch or dinnertime before the sun goes down, grab a seafood-centric meal at a waterfront institution along the Intracoastal Waterway, like Coconuts or Boatyard, or head to Boathouse at the Riverside for a view of the New River.
Looking for evening drinks or a morning coffee before boarding your ship? Flagler Village is a trendy neighborhood in a former warehouse district with several local breweries and artisan coffee shops.
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Things to do in Fort Lauderdale before or after your cruise
Visit the beach
Most visitors to Fort Lauderdale come for the beach, and Fort Lauderdale Beach along state Road A1A is sure to impress — whether you want to soak up some sun from the sand, take a splash in the Atlantic or drive along state Road A1A for views of the ocean right from your car.
About 15 minutes south, you can explore Hollywood Beach, which feels like a small beach town with a 2.5-mile stretch of pedestrian promenade called the Broadwalk. Watch the joggers and cyclists go by, or join in yourself.
Related: The best beaches in Florida
Ride the Water Taxi
With an extensive system of canals and waterways, Fort Lauderdale is known as the Venice of America for good reason. The Water Taxi will take you along the Intracoastal Waterway on a route behind some of Fort Lauderdale’s most stunning waterfront mansions.
It stops along the way at popular attractions, hotels and waterfront restaurants. Hop off at 15th Street Fisheries or Shooters Waterfront for a classic South Florida seafood meal.
Hit the slots
If you want to continue gambling after your cruise, Broward County is home to a few major casinos that attract tourists and locals alike.
About 15 minutes west of the port in Hollywood, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and its adjacent Guitar Hotel feel like two Las Vegas resorts in the middle of South Florida, with a casino connecting the two properties. Across the two music-themed luxury hotels, guests can enjoy the spa, various shops, a lagoon-style pool with cabanas, more than a dozen restaurants and multiple nightclubs, bars and lounges. The Hard Rock Live entertainment venue often hosts concerts and other acts like comedians.
Stay for the nighttime light show from the Guitar Hotel that’s choreographed to different songs. Six beams of light project 20,000 feet into the sky, representing the strings of a guitar neck. The Guitar Hotel’s grand entrance also features a 35-foot-tall central waterfall called The Oculus with another musical light show that runs every 20 minutes.
Farther south in Hallandale Beach (about 30 minutes from Port Everglades), Gulfstream Park is a horse racing track and casino that’s home to equestrian events like the Pegasus World Cup. The complex also has an array of shops, restaurants and entertainment like nightclubs and a karaoke venue.
Shopping near Fort Lauderdale cruise port
If you’re looking for last-minute cruise necessities like sunscreen or snacks, visit a pharmacy like Walgreens or CVS near Port Everglades on U.S. Highway 1 or 17th Street Causeway. The Harbor Shops is also a convenient nearby shopping plaza with a Publix Supermarket and a Total Wine if you want to grab a bottle of wine to bring on board.
Las Olas Boulevard is an outdoor shopping and entertainment district with boutique shops, art galleries, sidewalk cafes and bars. It stretches from downtown Fort Lauderdale to the beach on state Road A1A, and it’s the perfect place to stroll for the afternoon, shop after you disembark or wander the evening before you board.
For a more traditional shopping mall experience, head to The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, an upscale shopping center with more than 100 retail shops, including Macy’s, Michael Kors, H&M and Free People.
Farther away but a worthwhile destination for bargain hunters, Sawgrass Mills is one of the world’s largest outlet malls. The sprawling shopping center with more than 400 shops and restaurants is about a 20- to 30-minute drive from the cruise port.
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