Cruises

Cruise fares are quoted per person on double occupancy and cover the cabin, most meals and getting from port to port. Port charges and government taxes are added at checkout. Gratuities, drinks, speciality restaurants, wifi, shore excursions and anything involving an airport are usually not included.

The decision that actually shapes the holiday is not the cabin grade. It is how you get to the ship. A cruise line will not wait for a delayed flight unless you bought the flight from them, and the terminal gangway closes a fixed number of hours before the scheduled sailing.

Fly in the day before. Every time.

This is the one piece of cruise advice that is close to universal. A same-day flight leaves no margin for a delay, a diversion or a missing bag, and missing the ship means chasing it to the next port at your own expense. A hotel night near the port costs less than that, and it turns embarkation morning into a short taxi ride instead of a race.

Air arranged through the cruise line costs more and is generally less convenient, but it transfers the risk: if that flight fails, getting you to the ship becomes their problem.

Getting to the two big Florida ports

PortMiami is roughly nine miles from Miami International. Most lines run shuttles from the airport, and public transport works: Metrorail from MIA to Government Center, Metromover to Freedom Tower, then the free City of Miami trolley across the PortMiami bridge. Taxis and rideshare serve all terminals on cruise days.

Port Canaveral is about 42 miles and roughly 45 minutes east of Orlando International on SR 528, the Beachline toll road. Cocoa Beach Express is the port authority’s official ground transportation concessionaire; cruise line coaches, rideshare and private transfers all operate as well.

Full detail in the two port guides linked below.

Shore excursions: through the line or independently

Buying the tour from the cruise line costs more and comes with one guarantee that matters: if the excursion runs late, the ship waits. Independent operators are frequently better and cheaper, and carry no such promise. The sensible split is to book independently in ports where you can walk off and explore on foot, and through the line where the tour goes a long way inland or the tender is the only way ashore.

Where to book cruises

Common questions

How early should I get to the cruise terminal?

Follow the boarding window printed on your cruise documents, which is usually a staggered arrival time. Terminals will not normally admit you before it, and the gangway closes a set period — typically 60 to 120 minutes — before the scheduled sailing. Check the exact times with your line; they vary by port and ship.

Do I need a passport for a round-trip cruise from a US port?

Requirements depend on your nationality, the itinerary and the countries visited, and they change. Check your cruise line’s documentation page and your own government’s travel advice for the specific sailing rather than relying on general guidance.