Miami Cruise Port Address: 1015 North America Way #210, Miami, FL 33132 Ships dock at the Port of Miami, five minutes from downtown.

THE 25 BEST Cruises to Miami, FL 2024 (with Prices) - Miami Cruise Port Terminal on Cruise Critic

Q: Miami Cruise Port Facilities

Bayside Marketplace -- like Boston's Fanueil Hall and Baltimore's Harborplace, this shopping mall/dining center, which lies on the waterfront is a 15-minute walk along Caribbean Way from the port, offers plenty of diversion for a short Miami pit-stop. The center features services such as ATM's, coat/package check, taxis, valet parking and wheelchair rental. Tour boats and fishing charters can be arranged here, too. Adjacent to the south, the Mildred and Claude Pepper Bayfront Park includes a memorial to the Challenger astronauts. The 32-acre park includes a small sand beach, a tropical rock garden and waterfall, a cascading fountain and a light tower. Other monuments honor World War II veterans, Christopher Columbus and other dignitaries.

Q: Getting Around

On Foot: Miami is such a sprawling city that aside from port-related activities and the Bayside shopping center you'll either need to rent a car or rely on taxis to explore. Taxis: Line up at the dock. Renting a Car: At this point in time there are no car rental companies with offices at the pier proper. Nearly all will pick up and drop off at the port. Logistically it makes a great deal of sense to use an operator with facilities close to the port to avoid the traffic, crowds and hassle connected with going to the airport for car rentals. The major players, the location of the renting office, and their numbers to call for pick up and/or reservations are: Alamo (Airport, 305-633-6076); Avis (99 Southeast 2nd Street, 305-379-1317); Budget (Airport, 305-871-2722); Dollar (Airport, 305-894-5021); Enterprise (400 SE 2nd Ave.,305- 379-3003); Hertz (354 Southeast 1st Street, 786-425-2515); National (2301 NW 33rd Ave., 305-638-1026); Thrifty (1520 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-604-9827). Hertz has regular shuttle service from Port of Miami terminals to their rental office, every half-hour, Wednesday through Monday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Keep in mind that off-airport car rentals are often cheaper than at the airport.

About Cruising to Miami

No city in the United States has evolved into as many disparate identities in so short a time as has Miami. A bit more than a hundred years ago this former Spanish settlement, located along the Miami River where it spills into Biscayne Bay (now the center of the city of Miami), attracted neither interest nor population. That's understandable since up until that point, the only way to reach Miami was by boat.

That changed in 1896, when financier Henry Flagler extended his new Florida East Coast Railroad south from its previous terminus at West Palm Beach. By the turn of the 20th century the first of Miami's real estate booms was underway, a pattern that continued unabated right up to the Great Depression. Miami was one of the few places on earth where someone could offer you a get-rich-quick deal on 10 acres of swampland, and there was a good chance that you could actually get rich on it. Many made their fortunes here and left monuments to their achievements in places such as the grand Mediterranean-style estates like Villa Vizcaya and the slew of privately developed islands along the causeways crossing Biscayne Bay.

The city of Miami sits on the Florida mainland. Offshore, due east in the Atlantic, are a series of barrier islands. The southernmost island in the near vicinity is Key Biscayne. Next to the north is Virginia Key, then Fisher Island, and then comes Miami Beach. The body of water between these islands and the mainland is Biscayne Bay. Early on, resort developers looked to the Atlantic Ocean beaches of Miami Beach, beginning their development with the elegant Art Deco hotels at the southern tip, now better known as South Beach. As development proceeded northward its complexion changed, becoming more "high-rise" and grandiose, with amenities geared to a wider range of interests, from yachting to golf.

The 1960s saw another sea change in Miami, generating another boom cycle, brought about by the unlikely combination of the advent of universally available air conditioning and the rise to power of Fidel Castro. As Cuban refugees fled in droves to the U.S., they settled in that part of our country most like their former homeland in climate -- namely, South Florida. Miami, whose tropical temperatures were now tamed by indoor climate control, thus tolerable to an influx of workers, became the gateway to the Caribbean for any number of businesses, which soon rivaled tourism as the keystone industry.

The Caribbean population influx also profoundly changed Miami's personality. It is now largely bilingual, with French and Creole also gaining a foothold with increasing waves of immigration from Haiti. It's hard to walk a block in Miami without coming into contact with Cuban food, Cuban music, Cuban culture. It is a dynamic, vibrant city steeped in multiculturalism. These new Miamians and their businesses have also contributed directly to the revitalization of the mainland portion of Miami, leading to a number of tourist assets along the western shore of Biscayne Bay, such as Bayside Marketplace.

Across the bay is the renovated Art Deco district, including South Beach (SoBe), which has become a mecca in its own right, attracting celebrities and those who follow them, whether it be with camera or with autograph book. SoBe is also home to Miami's nightclub, fashion, music and hip dining scene, and rivals Venice, California as the place to go to people-watch.

Not all is development (or overdevelopment, some would say). Though the seaside corridor has been urbanized almost from the tip of Florida to midway up the coast, there is still much for lovers of nature and the great outdoors. The Everglades are within a half-day's drive to the southwest. Off the Atlantic coast a short distance to the south is the only living coral reef in the continental United States. Birders wax poetic over opportunities to spy tropical shore birds and waterfowl found nowhere else in the States. And where else in the U.S.A. might you have to brake to avoid alligators crossing the road?

Whether Miami is your port of embarkation, debarkation or a port of call mid-cruise, it is unlikely that you will encounter a city anywhere on your travels that appeals to as many tastes: foodie, shopaholic, eco-tourist, golfer, water sportsperson or lover of traditional tourist attractions.

7 Night

Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day

13 Reviews

Leaving:

Cruise Line:

4 Night

Bahamas Cruise

392 Reviews

Leaving:

Cruise Line:

10 Night

Caribbean - Eastern Cruise

231 Reviews

Leaving:

Cruise Line:

Need First-Time Cruise Tips?

Help Choose Your Perfect Cruiseline
Find a Printable Cruise Packing List
Expert Ship Reviews, Itineraries & Destination Guides

Get Special Cruise Deals, Expert Advice, Insider Tips & More!

More about Miami

Why Cruise to Miami?

Pros:

Miami offers tons of dining, nightlife, art and activities for pre- or post-cruise stays

Cons:

The port itself is not located near downtown areas and taxi drivers can be pushy for cash fares

Bottom Line:

A huge variety of cruise ships sail from Miami, and the city easily accommodates extended stays

Miami Cruise Port Facilities?

Bayside Marketplace -- like Boston's Fanueil Hall and Baltimore's Harborplace, this shopping mall/dining center, which lies on the waterfront is a 15-minute walk along Caribbean Way from the port, offers plenty of diversion for a short Miami pit-stop. The center features services such as ATM's, coat/package check, taxis, valet parking and wheelchair rental. Tour boats and fishing charters can be arranged here, too.

Adjacent to the south, the Mildred and Claude Pepper Bayfront Park includes a memorial to the Challenger astronauts. The 32-acre park includes a small sand beach, a tropical rock garden and waterfall, a cascading fountain and a light tower. Other monuments honor World War II veterans, Christopher Columbus and other dignitaries.

Good to Know?

Theft from motor vehicles is fairly common, as in most large cities. Don't leave valuables within view in rental cars. Also, if you're renting a car to drive around Miami, avoid arguing with other drivers and road rage. As with any city, don't walk around by yourself late at night. Finally, beautiful people abound in Miami, and particularly Miami Beach. Skip the muffin and take the stairs before your visit.

Getting Around?

On Foot: Miami is such a sprawling city that aside from port-related activities and the Bayside shopping center you'll either need to rent a car or rely on taxis to explore.

Taxis: Line up at the dock.

Renting a Car: At this point in time there are no car rental companies with offices at the pier proper. Nearly all will pick up and drop off at the port. Logistically it makes a great deal of sense to use an operator with facilities close to the port to avoid the traffic, crowds and hassle connected with going to the airport for car rentals. The major players, the location of the renting office, and their numbers to call for pick up and/or reservations are: Alamo (Airport, 305-633-6076); Avis (99 Southeast 2nd Street, 305-379-1317); Budget (Airport, 305-871-2722); Dollar (Airport, 305-894-5021); Enterprise (400 SE 2nd Ave.,305- 379-3003); Hertz (354 Southeast 1st Street, 786-425-2515); National (2301 NW 33rd Ave., 305-638-1026); Thrifty (1520 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-604-9827).

Hertz has regular shuttle service from Port of Miami terminals to their rental office, every half-hour, Wednesday through Monday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Keep in mind that off-airport car rentals are often cheaper than at the airport.