Do you know that the busiest passenger cruise ports in the world are in South Florida? I have been to Port of Miami and often wondered if it is bigger than Port Everglades.
Is Port Everglades bigger than Port of Miami? No, I don’t think Port Everglades is bigger than Port of Miami. Port Miami is a top-rated cruise seaport. It will be your best choice if you want many choices and company.
On the other hand, Port Everglades can suit your need for cheap parking and easier security time clearing. Port Everglades alternates with Port Canaveral as the second-largest passenger cruise port.
Access to the terminals of both ports is easy. They have parking spaces, shuttles, and local attractions. There is a good system on the ground that processes passengers in and out of ships with ease.
The transportation fair by taxi to and fro Port Everglades is a challenge.
Boarding the ship is sometimes chaotic, getting baggage on board is sometimes delayed, and sometimes you have to walk under the hot sun from where you parked your car to the terminals.
Is Port Everglades bigger than Port of Miami?
The Port of Miami is bigger than Port Everglades. The two most popular ports in Florida are Port Miami, and Port Everglades, located in Fort Lauderdale.
They are known as cruise ports, and they are also the biggest and busiest in America. They are home to many ships of all kinds and sizes. All the major cruise lines have their presence represented in these ports.
Getting there by car
Getting to Port Everglades is more difficult than getting to Port Miami. There are many security checkpoints you have to pass through in Fort Lauderdale. You will see them at the Eisenhower Boulevard, Road 84, and Interstate 595/Eller Drive entrances.
You must identify with your passport or driver’s license and your cruise tickets before you are allowed access.
On the other hand, you do not need to pass through a checkpoint to get to Port Miami. All you need do is get to the port through the port tunnel or the Port Boulevard bridge at Northeast Sixth Street.
Parking
It costs less to park at Port Everglades. The port has above 5,600 garages and surface parking spaces that serve nine terminals. You will pay $3 per hour if you are parking for a short time, but if you are parking for a day, you will pay $19.
The parking lots are far from the terminals, so you have to take a shuttle bus to or from the parking lot or you get ready to walk for a long distance.
More passengers patronize Port Miami, so it has 6,700 garages and surface parking spaces that serve 7 terminals. Short-time parking there is $7 per hour, and overnight parking goes as much as $20.
You do not have to take a bus shuttle to get to the terminals because they are close. They are Just across the street from the parking lots.
There are 24-hour security patrols in both ports. They both have a place for drivers that pick up arriving passengers, and places where the disabled park. They both also have where over-sized vehicles like buses, RVs, and trailers par
Choice of ships
There are many shipping options to choose from in Port Miami. In 2016 the port handheld 4.98 million cruise passengers with 18 cruise lines.
On the other hand, during the same period in 2016, Port Everglades handled 3.8 million cruise passengers with 40 ships on 11 cruise lines.
According to Diane Wozniak, a Cruise planner, you have the chance of getting a better deal at Port Miami. A lot of families in Florida like to do three or four-night cruises, but unfortunately, they cannot get the service at Port Everglades.
Each port boasts two new top-of-the-line ships.
According to the schedule, by early December Carnival Cruise Line’s largest ship, the Carnival Vista, and the Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer will be arriving in Port Miami.
Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer is rated as one of the most luxurious cruise ships that have been built in the world.
Many cruise ships in Port Everglades are ranked as the biggest in the world. Some of them are Harmony of the Seas, belonging to Royal Caribbean, and Holland America’s msKoningsdam, which came to the port earlier in the month.
Facilities
The two ports spent multimillions dollars to upgrade their terminals a few years ago. They built new check-in counters, kiosks, seating rooms, VIP lounges, restrooms, security screening gadgets, and passenger processing gadgets.
According to cruise planner April Creeger, a professional traveler, there are no good facilities in Port Miami for quick handling of large passenger luggage.
There was a day I was in a queue for more than an hour to be check-in on board a ship, she said. There are five to ten minutes seamless tops in Port Everglades.
Royal Caribbean has budgeted $200 million for the expansion of Port Miami. This money will be spent on building a new cruise terminal in the port as their contribution to a public-private partnership with the port authority.
On the other side, Port Everglades is spending about $18 million to extend the slip close to Cruise Terminal 4, which was recently renovated. This is to increase the terminal’s capacity so that it can contain big cruise ships next summer.
Port Everglades has a gadget that makes it easy to clear after a cruise. This is the first port in America to use the Mobile Passport app.
This app is like Global Entry. The app makes for speedy customs clearing, and the process is very simple.
FAQs
How large is Port Everglades?
The United States of America Navy takes Port Everglades as its favorite liberty port. The port has an average depth of 43 feet (13 m). It is presently the deepest of all the American ports in the Atlantic Ocean, south of Norfolk, Virginia
What is the most popular cruise port?
The busiest cruise port in Florida presently is Port Everglades, ranked the third busiest cruise port in the world. Port Everglades has 33 berths and can handle about 3.5 million cruise passengers annually.
Which is the best cruise port in Florida?
Port Miami has a reputation as the Cruise Capital of the World. The port is located at Biscayne Bay. Some cruise lines that visit this port are Disney, Carnival, Azamara, Norwegian, and many others.
On the other hand, Port Canaveral is located on the eastern coast of Florida, in Cape Canaveral. Port Everglades, located in Fort Lauderdale, is behind these ports in the ranking of busiest parts in Florida.